Dark Prophecy
by Hope in Death
Summary: Dark Harry! A prophecy concering the Potter twins leads Harry onto a destructive path after being ignored by his family. Matters only worsen when Harry becomes the heir to a powerful race that has long thought to be extinct, the Dragon Riders.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Twins**

7/28/05

The Potions Master stormed down the empty corridor, his black cloak billowing behind him as he headed towards the Headmaster's office in search of Albus Dumbledore. The information that he had just received from the Death Eater's meeting, composed of the Dark Lord's most trusted servants, left him both confused and agonized.

"Hey Sevy, what's the rush? Going to torture some muggles on your beloved Master's orders?" taunted Sirius Black, one of Hogwart's former, infamous troublemaker and prankster.

"What are you doing here, Black?" Snape snapped, scowling at the sight of one of his archenemies. "I thought you graduated six years ago. Back to retake all the classes you failed? Where's Potter – oh right, he's going to be a _father_. It's a joke to think the idiot can take on the role of a father when he can barely take care of himself."

"For your information, I'm strictly here on Auror business, unlike a certain Death Eater." Sirius hissed, eyeing Snape disdainfully. "And James will be a great father if not the best – you're just jealous because you can't even snag yourself a decent girlfriend." At this, Sirius grinned devilishly. "The closest person you had to a girlfriend was Fatima – a brainless, sniveling girl. I still remember her trailing after you like a pathetic puppy, moaning, 'Oh Severus, wait for me!' or 'Severus, you're so gorgeous with your slimy hair and…'"

"I see both of you managed to stay together for more than five minutes without loosing any body parts." interrupted the headmaster, an aged man with kind, sparkling eyes that contradicted his age. "Let's go to my office so we can have more privacy." he suggested before taking the lead.

Snape and Sirius, after sharing a murderous glare, made sure there were several feet between them before trailing after the oblivious headmaster. Once they entered the office, the headmaster offered them lemon drops which Snape coldly declined.

"I'll take some." Sirius grinned before grabbing a large handful.

"Disgusting." Snape sneered, his lips curling upwards in an outward show of repulsion.

"Please take a seat." the headmaster suggested, motioning to the two chairs that resided side by side across from his comfy, leather chair. "No hexes, jinks, or pranks." he added for safety measures when both Sirius and Snape looked like they were going to curse one another.

Once everyone was comfortably seated (on the edge of their seats and fingering their wands), the headmaster began by directing his first question to Sirius.

"Is James and Lily safe?"

"Yeah, they're fine." Sirius answered distractedly. "You-Know-Who and his follows attacked a nearby muggle town – about 6 miles away from where Lily and James was – but thankfully they haven't been discovered." he paused for a second before adding, "Lily's in the hospital." At the headmaster's alarmed look, Sirius quickly explained, "She's going to have the Junior Prongs - twins."

"That's wonderful," Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling merrily. After promising to visit James and Lily, he turned his attention to his Potions Master, who was none-too-pleased at being ignored in favor of his archenemy. "Severus, I believe you have important information for us?"

Shooting Sirius one last, dirty look, Snape turned his attention to the headmaster. "I just returned from a Death Eater meeting and I have some…troubling news…if not a little unsettling."

"Out with it already." snorted Sirius, who was impatient to return to James and Lily.

Deciding to ignore Sirius, Snape continued, "A prophecy was made by the late Helena Trelawney, mother of Sibyll Trelawney, who passed away just before she made this last prophecy. No one knows the prophecy word by word except the Dark Lord. However, he has imparted some of the prophecy details to us – the inner circle of Death Eaters."

"You like that position, don't you?" Sirius asked, unable to stop himself from taking a poke at Snape.

"Sirius, please, not now." interrupted Dumbledore. "Real prophecies are not things to be trifled with. Severus, please tell us what you do know."

"The prophecy concerns the children of the Dark Lord's mortal enemies, who have defied him three times."

"You mean this prophecy concerns Junior Prongs?" Sirius interrupted; eyes wide with horror.

"We can't be sure this prophecy is for the Potters yet." Snape replied. "The prophecy states that the two born exactly at the same time on the night of July 31 are the Chosen Ones. Then it continues to say that the younger of the two, who wields immense powers, will bring the fall of the Dark Lord – for neither can live while the other survives…or something along those lines. However, the elder of the two, who is said to have a soul as old as time; knowledge that surpasses Merlin; and a heart as black as coal, will be the final factor in deciding the outcome of the war between Dark and Light. Everything depends on if he chooses to aide the other prophesized child or the Dark Lord. If he chooses the former, then the Dark Lord will be brought down to his knees. However, if he chooses the latter, the world will be plunged into darkness."

Everyone was silent as they processed the information. Finally, Dumbledore broke the silence by clearing his throat. "Not a word of this prophecy is to be spoken to anyone else." he stated, leaving no room for arguments. "Unless the prophecy is directed at Lily and James' children, you are not to breathe a word to them." he added when Sirius looked like he was about to argue.

Sirius and Snape cringed slightly at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, but nodded their heads in understanding.

"The elder of the prophesized twin will have to be watched carefully and killed if he shows signs of taking the Dark Path – he will have to be annihilated even if he is James and Lily's son. However, the younger son must be protected at all costs." Dumbledore stated before adding, "There haven't been many people who has defied Voldemort three times and lived to tell the tale. Actually, only two of them are in existence, which narrows down our search considerably. They are the Potters and the Longbottoms. Strangely enough, both Alice Longbottom and Lily Potter are pregnant. We know for sure Lily is having twins, but we don't know when. As for Alice, not much is known. We'll have to keep an eye on both of them tomorrow, which I must remind you, is July 31, the prophesized date."

"What do you want us to do?" Sirius asked, his hands trembling slightly.

"Snape will keep an eye on Alice. Sirius will watch over Lily. I want you to report to me as soon as they give birth." Dumbledore concluded before turning the conversation to a lighter topic to dispel the tension that had been created by the prophecy.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"How's Lily?" Sirius asked, slightly out of breath as he crashed through the door, trailed by several medi-nurses.

"You can't just barge in without signing in!" cried a frantic nurse.

"She's in…" James began, but was roughly interrupted by a shrill cry.

"JAMES POTTER!" Lily screeched from within the room.

"No…please ask Lily to hold it till morning." Sirius begged, his blood-shot eyes widening considerably.

"She can't really control when the babies come." James replied. "And what wrong with having the babies tonight?"

"It's July 31!"

"Yeah, I know…" James trailed, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Before Sirius could reply, the door opened and a nurse poked her head out. "Which one of you is James Potter?" she asked kindly.

"I am," answered James, stepping forward. "Is she…?"

"Congratulation Mr. Potter, you are the father of two healthy baby boys."

James stood stock still for a few seconds, allowing the information to sink into his head before shouting, "Sirius, isn't this great?" He jumped up and down while clapping Sirius on the back. "I'm going to be a dad!" Without further notice, he rushed into the room to congratulate his wife.

"Why?" Sirius whispered sardonically, a dry smile on his lips. As much as he wanted to be happy for James, he couldn't…not with the prophecy hanging over his head in a constant reminder of how potentially dangerous the elder Potter boy could be.

"Sirius, come inside and meet my boys!" James hollered, successfully snapping his best friend out of his depressing thoughts that revolved around death, destruction, and desolation.

As soon as Sirius stepped into the room, James gently handed him one of the two boys that Lily had been holding. Sirius looked down at the little bundle in his arms and immediately cursed the prophecy for the umpteenth time that hour for ruining his best friend's children's lives.

"That's Harry," supplied James proudly. "He's the elder."

The small smile that had stretched across Sirius's lips quickly disappeared.

"Dylan, the younger, is with Lily." James continued, inclining his head towards his wife, who was gently cooing over her younger son. "I had been thinking," James added as an afterthought, "I want both you and Moony to become my sons' godfathers. You can take Dylan and Moony can take Harry."

"No, it would be better if I watched over Harry." Sirius interrupted, catching James off guard.

"I'm okay with that, but why?" James asked, slightly confused. "You've been acting pretty weird today, Padfoot, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Sirius replied distractedly. "It's just better for all of us if Harry is my godson – my responsibility."

"Hello James, Lily, I'm terribly sorry for being late." apologized Remus Lupin, James and Sirius's other best friend. "I got held up at the Ministry."

"It's okay," James assured his friend. "Sirius and I were just discussing something that concerned you too. I want you two to become one of my sons' godfathers."

"I would be honored." Remus grinned before congratulating Lily.

"I wanted you to take my older son, Harry, but Sirius insisted that you take Dylan, the younger, instead. Is that all right with you?" James asked, even though he knew Remus would be fine with Sirius's decision.  
"Yeah, that's fine." Remus smiled. "But I'm curious as to why Sirius chose Harry over Dylan. Sirius, are you showing favoritism already?" he laughed lightly before picking up Dylan and cradling him in his arms.

Sirius forced on a small smile as his friends joked and laughed. Taking a resigned sigh, Sirius prepared to tell his friends the prophecy that had been haunting him nonstop since he heard it the day before.

"What's wrong Sirius? Aren't you happy for James and Lily?" Remus asked lightly, prodding his friend lightly in the ribs.

"James – Lily – Remus, I need to tell you something." Sirius began gravely.

"You flooded the toilet?" James suggested with a small grin.

Sirius had to stop himself from rolling his eyes at James' insinuation.

"What did you do to Snape?" Remus sighed.

"Nothing," Sirius replied. "Much."

"You're going to get married?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Um, no…" Sirius licked his lips, trying to think of a soft way to break the news to his best friends. "It's a prophecy…about your…sons."

"What is it?" Lily asked, the smile melting from her lips.

James and Remus immediately stopped laughing and looked at Sirius expectantly. Sirius groaned before running his hand through his hair. This was going to be a lot harder than he had previously imagined…How do you tell your best friend that one of his newborn sons is destined to kill Voldemort while the other is destined either to aid his brother or end the world?

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

Sirius found himself in Dumbledore's office again for the second time in three days. If it wasn't for the prophecy, he would have found the situation oddly funny because it reminded him of all the times he had waited in this very office, waiting for his punishment for pulling potentially dangerous pranks. Of course, his companion in crime wouldn't be Snape…  
"The prophecy isn't for the Longbottoms." Snape stated. "Alice gave birth to _one_ son on July 31 in the _morning_."

"Then that leaves…" Dumbledore trailed off, pinning Sirius with a sympathetic look.

"Lily and James had twin boys, Harry and Dylan, yesterday night at exactly 11:59…a minute from midnight." Sirius replied dully. "They didn't take the news of the prophecy very well." he added, cringing slightly at the memory of a weeping Lily and a furious James.

"I'm assuming Harry is the elder?" Dumbledore asked.

Sirius gave a small nod.

"We'll have to keep an eye on him. I think it might be wise if he doesn't learn magic at all. His name will be taken off the Hogwarts' student list." Dumbledore concluded before looking towards Snape and Sirius to see if they had any objections. Dumbledore was slightly surprised when it was Snape who vetoed the idea instead of Sirius.

"I doubt you can keep magic from Potter – especially since he'll be surrounded by it. The more you keep it from him, the more likely he'll try to dig deeper into the Arts. The prophecy said nothing about Potter being powerful – just intelligent and evil." Snape explained.

"I understand what you mean, Severus." Dumbledore sighed. "But we can't risk the fact that Harry _could_ turn out to be potentially powerful. After all, knowledge and power usually come hand in hand. The less magic Harry knows, the safer everyone will be if he decides to join Voldemort."

This time, Snape didn't comment, knowing Dumbledore was unlikely to change his decision. However, though he didn't voice it, he had a terrible feeling in his gut that told him they were missing a horribly important detail…and that what they're doing now…might not be the correct course of action. He just hoped Dumbledore's decision was the right one – for everyone's sake.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

Please read and review!

_Next time: _

_"Why can't I learn magic? I know I can do everything better than Dylan if you just give me a chance!" _

_"The boy is dangerous…how he got his hands on this Dark Arts book is anyone's guess." _


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Dabbling in the Dark Arts**

7/30/05

Harry watched through narrowed eyes as his parents congratulated his younger brother for accurately performing _lumos – _possibly the easiest spell in the book. He barely concealed a snort when Dylan puffed up his chest as if he had just defeated a vicious monster. Of course, whatever Dylan did was always worth congratulating – their father had even congratulated Dylan for successfully vandalizing the living room.

"Lumos," Harry hissed softly, watching as a small ball of light emerged from the palm of his hand. "Nox," he quickly added when his father shot him a suspicious glance from the other side of the living room.

After making sure nothing was out of the ordinary, James returned his attention to his younger son. He chuckled slightly when Dylan demanded that he have his own wand. "When you're older," he smiled, ruffling Dylan's hair affectionately, "but for now, you can use my wand."

Taking one last glance at his _family_, Harry stormed into his bedroom, kicking Dylan's pet cat, Flea, out of his room. Reaching under his bed, he pulled out a book labeled, "Dark Arts for Beginners." Flipping angrily through the book, tearing several pages in the process, Harry muttered incoherent words under his breath.

"Why is it always Dylan?" he seethed before stretching out his hand, "Occludo." The door slammed shut before several clicks followed; indicating that the bedroom locks had been activated. Harry slumped against his bed and closed his eyes, trying to reign in his anger before things started to explode again – like the last kitchen.

A cynical smile spread across Harry's lips. His family obviously didn't need or even want him…Of course, the feeling was mutual. His life was wonderful, he convinced himself. He was better than Dylan. He didn't need a stupid wand to perform magic. He could teach himself magic. He was going to be a great wizard one day. He didn't need friends. He didn't care if his family and relatives hated him. He wasn't lonely…

"As they say, if you say it long enough, you might just believe yourself." Harry muttered darkly.

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"Severus, are you all right?" Dumbledore asked worriedly when his Potions Master stumbled into the office looking like he had been run over by the Knight Bus three times in repeated succession.

Snape dropped himself into one of the chairs as Dumbledore offered him a cup of tea that he gladly accepted. After taking a few sips, he straightened himself and waited for the questions the headmaster was dying to ask.

"What happened?"

"The Dark Lord brought in a muggle woman three days ago. I'm not sure what he wants from the woman, but he has been torturing her relentlessly for three days and nights straight. He's used anything and everything he could think of to torture her – including but not limited to the Cruciatus Curse several times.

"Today, the Dark Lord called in his Death Eaters to aid him in torturing the woman – however, we were not to kill her. I don't know what the muggle has that the Dark Lord could possibly want, but she wouldn't budge in her resolve to remain silent. Angered by the woman's insolence, and not willing to kill her yet, he turned his wrath to us. None of his Death Eaters escaped unscathed today. I'm in good condition compared to the rest."

"Who's this woman?"

"All I know is that she's a muggle. When I saw her three days ago, she had fair silky, raven-black hair and stormy blue eyes." Snape murmured, narrowing his eyes slightly when the headmaster smiled in amusement. "Today was a different story – she hardly even looked human."

"What do you mean?" Dumbledore asked, his previous amusement replaced by curiosity and apprehension.

"Lacerations, bruises, and punctures covered every inch of her skin. There are even traces of scorch marks on her body. Most of her bones are shattered – I doubt even Madam Pomfrey will be able to mend her…and her eyes have been gouged out." Snape finished in a light whisper.

"And she isn't dead?" Dumbledore asked tentatively.

"She's hanging on by a thread, but the Dark Lord refuses to let her die. He threatened to kill all the medics if she died before he allowed her to." Snape answered, taking another sip of his tea.

"What does Voldemort want with a muggle woman? If it's information, couldn't he have used Legilimency or Veritaserum?"

"That's the problem. She appears to be immune to both Legilimency and Veritaserum." Snape sighed, feeling a migraine coming on. "And it has been confirmed that there isn't an ounce of magic blood in her. I think there's something protecting her from both Legilimency and Veritaserum – but I can't pinpoint what it is exactly without alerting the Dark Lord's suspicions. I believe the Dark Lord knows what's preventing Legilimency and Veritaserum from working, but he wouldn't tell any of us. Lestrange was almost killed for asking a second time."

"Whatever the woman is hiding must be important if she is willing to suffer and die for it. Try to see if you can find out more about what the woman is concealing that could be so important to Voldemort." Dumbledore stated before adding, "Be careful – don't put yourself in unnecessary danger."

"I won't."

"All right, now there's something I need you to confirm…" Dumbledore began, but was interrupted by Snape, who knew exactly what the headmaster wanted to know. After all, all that had concerned the headmaster for the past eight years had been the Potters, the Prophecy, the Phoenix Members, and the Dark Lord.  
"Potter wants to celebrate his sons' – excuse me, son's – eighth birthday at the Quidditch World Cup." Snape sneered, purposely stressing the fact that James was only celebrating Dylan's birthday. He didn't particularly like any of the Potters, but if James disliked Harry, then in Snape's opinion, Harry was worth some of his attention.

"At the Quidditch World Cup?" asked Dumbledore, eyes widening slightly. "Voldemort could choose that time to kill Dylan and kidnap Harry."

"You try and tell Potter that." Snape snorted. "Anyway, the elder Potter (Harry) isn't going anywhere – he's going to stay home." Snape explained. "Black, Lupin, and some other Ministry Members and Aurors will be accompanying Potter and his family to the Quidditch World Cup for extra security measures."

"I still don't like this idea, but I doubt anything I'll say is going to change James' mind." Dumbledore chuckled slightly. "He's always been stubborn. Will you be accompanying James and his family?"

"No, the Dark Lord ordered me to brew a highly difficult potion. I can't afford to be distracted for the next three months. "

"Oh?" Dumbledore asked, his interest piqued, "Is it…for the woman?"

"I hardly doubt that." Snape snorted. "It's the Tutamen Potion – the highest form of protection that can be brewed."

"What does Voldemort want to be protected against?"

"Nothing," Snape answered smoothly. "He doesn't need to be protected…I think this potion is for someone else…Do you know what the key ingredient of the Tutamen Potion is?" When Dumbledore looked like he was going to try to sort through his memory of potions, which was tucked in a deep corner of his mind, Snape continued, "In this case, it's the Dark Lord's blood. The Dark Lord is going to try to protect someone through his own blood."

"How strong is this potion?"

"It depends on who is providing the blood. The stronger the witch or wizard providing the blood, the stronger the potion – with the Dark Lord's blood, I believe this potion might be the strongest Tutamen Potion ever brewed in history. The effects of this potion will last until the Dark Lord dies."

"What could Voldemort possibly be planning?" Dumbledore whispered, stumped by the Dark Lord's recent actions. The idea of Voldemort protecting someone – anyone, even a Death Eater – was absurd.

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"Daddy's taking me to the Quidditch World Cup for my eighth birthday." Dylan taunted as he placed up eight fingers. "Too bad you have to stay home and watch the house. Don't worry; I'll bring you back a souvenir. What do you want - popcorn, soda, or a balloon?"

Harry gritted his teeth as he watched his younger twin dance and twirl around the living room. It didn't surprise him that he was being left out of his own birthday. He knew he would be left out the moment Dylan suggested having his birthday during the Quidditch World Cup.

"Oh, I almost forgot, it's your birthday too. How sad…" Dylan trailed mournfully as his lips pulled down into a deep frown. Harry rolled his eyes as Dylan lapsed into silence, looking like he was really trying to find a solution to the problem. "Oh well," Dylan concluded cheerfully with a devilish grin.

Harry glared at his brother as his fingers twitched in agitation. One more word, Harry silently swore, and he would strangle Dylan – consequences or not.

"Stop giving me that pathetic look! If we didn't share the same birthday, your last seven birthdays wouldn't have been celebrated at all! There are only birthday parties on July 31 because it's MY birthday. Mommy and Daddy don't care about you. You knew that, didn't you? Why don't you just disappear? You're a wizard – make yourself disappear! No one would notice anyway. No one's going to care. Do us all a favor and leave."

"Shut up," Harry hissed.

"Make me!"

Harry swiftly grabbed their father's wand, which was protruding out of Dylan's oversized coat pocket, and held Dylan at wand point.

"What are you going to do, hex me? Or do I have to remind you that you don't know any spells." Dylan sneered while trying to back away. "The wand is useless to you; now give it back to me before I get Mommy and Daddy!"

"I would shut up if I were you." Harry hissed, digging the wand further into Dylan's flesh. "I can do so much more than you can ever imagine. I can make you scream and writhe in pain like you have never done before. Don't come near me again or I swear I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life."

"MOMMY, DADDY!" Dylan shrieked. "HARRY'S THREATENING ME!"

Lily and James stormed into the room just in time to catch Harry shout, "Expelliarmus," and watch Dylan fly across the room and into the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Harry, what are you doing?" James hissed as he wrenched his wand from his elder son's grasp.

Harry gasped in pain as his father wrapped his hand around his wrist in an iron grip, nearly crushing his bones.

"Look at what you did to your brother!" James ranted.

"He deserved it." Harry spat.

"Where did you learn magic?" Lily demanded, cradling Dylan to her chest. "You're lucky Dylan's all right. If anything happened to Dylan…" she began awkwardly. She was saved from finishing her threat when Harry interrupted with a fury that matched his father.

"You'll what? Kill me? Put me up for adoption? Because if that's your big threat, then do it. Kill me – disown me – like I care." Harry shouted even as tear threatened to spill from his eyes. "You've wanted a reason to kill me ever since I was born, right? Or maybe you were hopping that I'd be killed by someone else – that way, you wouldn't have to feel the guilt."

"Don't you dare talk to your mother that way…" began James.

"What are you talking about Harry?" Lily interrupted as tears spilled from her eyes.

"You've always favored Dylan, which I don't care." Harry lied. "But your biggest mistake was to keep magic from me! I don't care what you try to do to stop me – I _will_ become the greatest wizard in history."

"Harry…we're your family." Lily whispered.

"Well, I don't need any." Harry retorted as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "All I need is magic."

"That is enough!" James roared. "You are never – and I mean ever – to practice magic again."

"Why can't I learn magic? I know I can do everything better than Dylan if you just gave me a chance!" Harry yelled back while trying to wrench his hand from his father's vice-like grip.

"Lily, make sure Dylan's okay." James stated as he easily lifted Harry off the ground and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I'm going to lock Harry in his room while you call Albus and the others. I think the Prophecy's coming true."

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"Lily, what happened?" Sirius asked the moment he stepped in from the fireplace.

"It's Harry." she sobbed. "He injured Dylan."

"How?" asked Dumbledore, who had just entered the room.

"I don't know – Harry used James's wand and blasted Dylan into the wall. Harry knows magic…I don't know how, but he does!" Lily replied while trying to muffle her sobs. "James and I never taught him anything. I don't know…James thinks the Prophecy is coming true…"

"I think I know what happened." James replied as he stalked into the living room with an armful of books.

Mad-Eye Moody, a fellow Auror who had been accompanying Sirius before Lily's urgent call immediately picked up one of the books and flipped through the pages. "The boy is dangerous," he finally murmured as he turned another page, "how he got his hands on this Dark Arts book is anyone's guess. The Dark Arts in this book are simple and harmless enough but…"

"Dark Arts book?" asked Lily, eyes widening slightly. "But we don't have Dark Arts book in our house."

"A mystery indeed." murmured Dumbledore as Mad-Eye passed the Dark Arts book to Sirius for further investigation.

"I think the prophecy is accurate on Harry's intelligence." Remus interrupted. "To have learned these spells at such a young age without aide…It reminds me of You-Know-Who."

"What should we do?" Lily asked.

"Keep all wands out of Harry's reach." Dumbledore immediately replied. "Someone's going to have to watch him around the clock. Lily, I don't want to hurt Harry, but if he continues down this path, we will have to kill him for the sake of the world."

"No…don't." Lily pleaded. "I promise Harry will never touch magic again! I swear…just don't."

"I'll do what I have to do, Lily. But I will try not to harm Harry if I can help it." Dumbledore replied with a grave frown.

"Picked up anything, Sirius?" Mad-Eye asked as Sirius continued to flip through the Dark Arts book. "Do you know who it belongs to…if you do, then we'll know who's been helping Harry learn magic."

"Uh," Sirius paused for a second, "this is my book."

Sirius grimaced as several pairs of eyes glared at him – some surprised and others murderous.

"I can explain…" he quickly shouted before James decided to jump him.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

_Please read and review! _

_Thanks for the wonderful reviews on the last chapter!_

_Next Chapter: _

_"Oh McGonagall, you're here." _

_"That's _Professor_ McGonagall!" _

_"Wouldn't that be a child lover?" _

_"The proper term would be pedophile…but you didn't hear that term from me." _

_"Gather the others and be prepared to attack the Potter's residence in 15 minutes."_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**So it Begins**

8/3/05 – 8/8/05

Lily rushed to open the door after the third ring. She sighed in relief at the sight of her old professor, Minerva McGonagall. She quickly invited Minerva in and offered her a variety of soft drinks that the old professor kindly declined.

"Please, sit down." Lily smiled, motioning to several leather couches. Once they were comfortably seated, Lily offered Minerva an assortment of pastries, candies, and cookies that the old professor kindly refused with a slight shake of her head.

"Oh McGonagall, you're here." James greeted, poking his head into the living room.

"James!" Lily quickly admonished. "That's _Professor_ McGonagall!" she hissed, emphasizing Minerva's title. When James just shrugged his shoulder noncommittally, Lily groaned and quickly apologized profusely to her old professor for her husband's lack of manners.

"That's all right," McGonagall said slowly while pinning James with a stern glare, "I know how James is."

"Thank you for understanding and coming today." Lily smiled. "It's a big day for Dylan and everyone who knows about the prophecy is going to the Quidditch World Cup with us. James and I were worried that no one would be able to watch Harry in our absence. Of course, there's Headmaster Dumbledore, but I'm sure he's busy. Then there's Severus, who is…well, I don't know what he's doing, but…"

"I understand what your saying, Lily. I don't mind watching Harry for the day. You go and celebrate Dylan's birthday. Everything will be fine." McGonagall assured with a small wave of her hand.

"Harry's in his room – He's usually in there for most of the day. He comes out at about noon for lunch. Lunch is on the kitchen counter and…"

"Lily, just go." Minerva sighed.

"Yeah Mom, let's go all ready!" whined Dylan, who had just waltzed out of the kitchen. Much to Lily's displeasure, Dylan's face was caked with whipped cream, which practically screamed that he had raided the kitchen.

"Clean off the whipped cream." Lily admonished before averting her gaze back to Minerva. "As I was saying…" Lily began, but was abruptly cut off as both James and Dylan pushed her out of the house and into the car.

"Hey, McGonagall thanks for watching Harry." James grinned cheekily from the doorway before closing the door with a small click.

Minerva resisted the urge to her roll her eyes at James's obvious disrespect for her title and settled for a small sigh.

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Hidden behind the shadows of the red tapestries, Harry watched from his bedroom window as his family piled into the Ministry car. They were all laughing and smiling at some half-witted joke Dylan made... Harry's eyes narrowed into small slits as he angrily seethed for being left out again. Clenching a handful of the silky, red curtains, Harry angrily pulled it shut, nearly shredding it to pieces in the process. Slowly, he backed away from the window and flopped soundlessly onto his queen-sized bed. As Harry lay quietly on his bed, head atop his folder arms, the image of his family piling into the Ministry car repeatedly replayed itself in his mind's eyes, nearly driving him to the brink of insanity. Clenching his head with his hands, Harry tightly squeezed his eyes shut in a futile attempt to erase the happy image from his mind.

"I don't care," he whispered, "I don't need any of them."

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Snape resisted the urge to shift uneasily from foot to foot as the Dark Lord mercilessly used the Cruciatus Curse on the woman, causing her to scream and writhe in unimaginable pain.

"L-Let me go, p-please!" she begged when Voldemort briefly released her from the curse.

"Then tell me what I want to know." Voldemort hissed, his ruby-red eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

"I-I c-can't!" the woman stuttered as she shrunk back. "I won't!" she added defiantly with the last ounce of her courage.

"_Cru-,_" Voldemort began, but was rudely interrupted by a loud shriek of, "no."

Voldemort watched with disinterest as Rodolphus Lestrange and Regulus Black dragged in a bruised and beaten middle-aged man, who was struggling fruitlessly against his captors. Rodolphus was soon joined by his wife, Bellatrix Lestrange, who held a little, eight-year-old girl by the shoulder in a bruising grip.

"Melissa!" the man shouted as he renewed his struggles against his captors.

"Michael, w-what are you d-doing here?" the woman hissed shakily. "I thought I told you to take my little Angel and run!"

"M-Mommy?" the little girl whispered as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Voldemort watched in amusement as Melissa perked up at the sound of her daughter's cry. He lowered his wand and motioned for his Death Eaters to release the man, but not the girl. The man immediately rushed to his wife's side and cradled her blood-crusted body to his chest. The woman, instead of returning her husband's embrace, blindly pawed the ground and tugged on her chains in an attempt to find her crying daughter.

"What did they do to you?" Michael whispered as he gazed lovingly at Melissa. He gently traced his fingers over the area where his wife's eyes used to be and broke down into hysterical sobs. "You bastard." he cried, glaring at Voldemort with hate-filled eyes. "I'll never forgive you."

"Foolish muggle, what did you hope to accomplish by seeking out my Death Eaters?" Voldemort drawled. "_Crucio,_" he hissed, directing his wand towards the little girl.

Snape winced slightly when the little girl dropped to the ground screaming in agony. He silently cursed the foolish muggle for coming here with his daughter. He couldn't understand what the muggle thought he could possibly achieve by putting his daughter and himself in danger.

"Angel…don't, leave her alone!" Melissa begged, but was quickly silenced by Michael's hand over her mouth.

"In exchange for me and my wife's freedom; I'll give you my daughter." Sam whispered as Melissa blindly shook her head in the negative.

"Daddy, don't leave m…" the little girl began, but was quickly silenced by Bellatrix, who had ruthlessly slapped her across the cheek.

"Silence," Voldemort hissed, "_Crucio._" Bellatrix's eyes widened when she realized the Cruciatus Curse was meant for her and not the little girl. "I don't remember giving any orders for you to touch the girl." he whispered in a dangerously low tone before releasing Bellatrix from the curse. "You'll do well to remember not to act without my permission."

"Y-Yes Master," Bellatrix cried, lowering herself to the floor.

The little girl raced towards her parents the moment Bellatrix's hold on her softened. Before Angel could reach her parents, she was intercepted by Voldemort, who towered ominously over her small form. She took several steps back when the edge of Voldemort's lips curled upward into a small smirk of satisfaction. In one quick, fluid motion, he scooped the girl into his arms, pulling her flush against his chest.

Turning to the two muggles, Voldemort hissed, "I'll take your gift." he stated, tightening his hold on the struggling girl. "But Lord Voldemort never makes deals with muggles."

Regulus and Rodolphus smiled at their Lord's statement and shot the two muggles a predatory grin.

"Do what you please with them," Voldemort ordered, "but they are to remain alive. Do I make myself clear?"

"Of course," Bellatrix answered with a small bow.

"Yes Master!" Rodolphus and Regulus chorused in unison.

"Yes, Milord," Snape whispered, pulling on a predatory grin that matched his fellow Death Eaters. Snape watched as Voldemort ascended the dungeon stairs with the screaming girl in his grasps. The predatory grin on his face slowly dissolved into a frown as he quietly pondered what the Dark Lord was planning to do with the girl in the main mansion.

"Do you think Master likes his girls young?" Regulus asked with a feral grin.

Snape wrinkled his nose in disgust at Regulus's insinuation.

"That young?" asked Rodolphus incredulously. "Wouldn't that be a child lover?"

"The proper term would be pedophile." Regulus supplied.

Bellatrix pinned her cousin with a look that clearly conveyed that he would be dead if their Lord had heard him.

"But you didn't hear that term from me." Regulus quickly added, realizing his mistake.

Snape clenched his hands into tight fists as he silently hoped that the Dark Lord would find the heart in himself to give the little girl a quick, painless death…

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Harry paced back and forth from one end of his room to the other, thinking of various things to keep himself from going insane from sheer boredom. It had been a total of three hours since his family had left – leaving him with some unknown babysitter he hadn't bother to check on. Knowing his parents' peculiar tastes in babysitters, Harry concluded that his _guardian _was either a Professor from Hogwarts or a Ministry Member. Honestly, he didn't need a babysitter. He didn't _want_ a babysitter. Babysitters gave him the distinct feeling that he was some horrible criminal locked in Azkaban, guarded day and night by a jail warden to keep him from escaping from his prison (or in this case, his room).

Harry lazily picked a random book from his meager collection of books – which ranged from 100 Ways to Cook Spaghetti to Proper Manners for an English Boy. These books hardly piqued Harry's interests, but they were better than nothing. Ever since the incident with Dylan in the living room two months ago, he had been put on an even tighter leash. Magic was almost completely out of his grasps – almost.

He knew his Dark Arts book, the one he had secretly snatched from Sirius, had been returned to his godfather, who had been subject to some rather gruesome verbal assault about keeping spell books away from him. Harry sighed in frustration, knowing it was unlikely he would ever come across another book even remotely related to magic, much less a spell book.

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"It's time. We have about 20 minutes, give or take, to retrieve them." The man reached out a gnarled, old hand and summoned six maps of the world, keeping one and passing the other five to his comrades. "Be quick, not careless. We can't afford mistakes. I'll cover Europe."

"Odion," an elderly woman croaked. "Do you really believe the Chosen Ones will succeed where we have failed?"

"I honestly don't know, Sheena. I don't know."

As soon as Odion answered, several red dots began to pop up on the maps in random locations. Two dots, relatively close to one another, began flashing brightly on the section of the map labeled London as Odion quickly counted the total number of flashing dots, excluding the six gathered on Mt. Pike.

"There's seventeen dots all together, counting us."

"Is **_He _**on here?" asked Sheena as something akin to fear filtered through her eyes.

"The _traitor _isn't on the maps because the maps can't pick up his energy signature due to his shield spells. But this isn't the point. What I'm trying to say is there are seventeen dots all together – not including the traitor," Odion added when one of his comrades looked like he was going to protest. "So if we don't count six of us, there's only 11 new Chosen Ones. It's odd because Chosen Ones are always appointed by the dozen every fifty years. The missing Chosen One is either dead or protected by a very strong shield spell – though I would go with the first as not many can cast shield spells that can go undetected by my maps."

"But **_He_**can."

"It's not him because I doubt the bloody traitor evens knows the meaning of protection." Odion hissed. "We'll debate this at a later time. We have more pressing matters at the moment where time is of significance…Let's go," Odion barked; his voice surprisingly loud for someone his age. In six respective pops, everyone was gone, leaving nothing behind.

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Harry dropped to the floor and curled into a fetal position when a sudden wave of pain shot through his body. He briefly wondered if he had been placed under the Cruciatus Curse before quickly disregarding that notion when he remembered there wasn't anyone in his room to cast it. And unless he was mental to the point where he placed himself under the Cruciatus Curse, he was pretty sure the Cruciatus was not the cause of his agony.

Even through the heavy haze of pain, Harry knew someone invaded his room the moment the intruder entered.

"Hello," he heard the stranger whisper with barely concealed surprise.

"Who are…?" Harry managed to gasp before he was interrupted by a second wave of pain. "What…the…hell?" he demanded through clenched teeth.

"Goodness," the man – whoever he was – muttered darkly. "I didn't expect you to be this young."

Harry slammed his eyes shut as another onslaught of pain crashed through his body.

"It'll be over in a few minutes and if you survive past this…"

Harry's shrill scream cut off whatever was being said to him as he rolled from one end of the room to the other. Then suddenly, Harry stopped moving and everything became deafly silent save for Harry's breathless pants and the footsteps pounding up the stairs.

Odion raised a hand and muttered an indiscernible incantation, raising an impenetrable barrier around the room that would keep any unwanted spectators out. Even as he did so, he could hear the person on the other side repeatedly shouting, "Alohomora," in an attempt to unlock the door. Odion headed towards Harry to see how he was coping with the pain (and to make sure he was still alive) when Harry released a final, strangled cry.

To Harry's relief, the pain finally began to alleviate after what seemed like an eternity of torture. He tried to struggle into a sitting position, but was immediately stopped by a thin, but strong hand. Harry opened his mouth to protest, but quickly stopped when he felt his consciousness slowly slip from his grasps as the world around him faded in and out of view. The last thing he saw before falling into unconsciousness was an old man smiling at him with a relieved look etched on his face.

"Wait here as I go check up on the other Chosen Ones. I'll be back as soon as possible." Odion whispered to Harry before disappearing with a small pop.

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After four hours of relentless torture, even Rodolphus and Regulus became bored, claiming that the muggles weren't screaming loud enough to satiate their needs. "I say we kill them." Rodolphus sneered, sending a swift kick to Michael's stomach. "There isn't much left to do with them anyway."

"Master told you to keep them alive." Bellatrix interrupted, sending her husband a stern glare. "Master must have his reasons and uses for keeping these worthless muggles alive."

"Damn it, but I…" Rodolphus began, but was interrupted by a shrill cry that echoed from the main mansion.

Snape felt his heart sink as the memory of the innocent muggle girl flashed through his mind. He silently curled his hands into loose fists, pacifying himself with the knowledge that the girl's torture was over and that she was in a better place.

So lost in thought, Snape failed to notice when his Lord entered the dungeons ten minutes later.

"Master," Regulus breathed, his eyes roaming over his Lord's disheveled appearance.

Following Regulus's gaze, Snape's eyes were immediately drawn to the blood splattered across Voldemort's robes. The potions master could only guess as to what happened in the main mansion as he watched the fresh blood course down Voldemort's long, thin fingers and onto the floor, creating a small puddle.

"What did you…do…to my daughter?" Melissa wheezed as she wrapped an arm around herself. "What did you do to my Angel?" she whispered before pummeling head first into the ground in a dead faint.

Snape watched with half-veiled disgust as Rodolphus and Regulus gazed at the glistening blood on their Lord's lips with open fascination. As if knowing what was running through his Death Eater's minds, Voldemort ran his tongue over his lower lips, lapping up the remaining blood.

"Gather the others and be prepared to attack the Potter's residence in 15 minutes." Voldemort ordered before storming out of the dungeons, his black cloak billowing slightly as he ascended the stairs.

Snape's eyes widened when the full meaning of the order sunk into his mind. The only thought running through his head as he prepared to carry out the Dark Lord's orders was, "Shit."

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TBC

_Please read and review!_

_Next Time:_

_"Harry, open the door!"_

_"I really might not live to see the day…"_

_"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has him… I'm so sorry. I should have stayed with him!"_

_"You will do well to remember not to gossip behind Lord Voldemort's back…Especially when he's three feet ahead of you."_

_"I'm suffocating…its like 200 degrees in here."_

_"He's dead, isn't he?" _


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Chosen Ones**

8/8/05-8/10/05

Minerva lazily drifted between the realm of dreams and reality as she dutifully read the dreadfully boring article about exploding cauldrons in the Daily Prophet. She felt her eyelids droop as she read and reread the same sentence five times in repeated succession without so much as an inkling of comprehension. The day just seemed to drag on forever as she waited for the Potters to return from the Quidditch World Cup. For the umpteenth time that day, she couldn't help but wonder why they didn't bring Harry along with them. It was as much Harry's birthday as it was Dylan's, but then again, this was Lily and James's family, not hers.

Dropping the newspaper, Minerva gently propped herself comfortably up against the couch arm and prepared to take a small nap. Just as her eyes drifted shut, an ear-splitting scream had her jumping out of the couch in seconds, hands groping wildly for her misplaced wand. Finding her missing wand in the back pocket of her robes, Minerva quickly proceeded to storm upstairs and towards Harry's room - the last door down the right hall.

Rapping her knuckles loudly across the door, Minerva frantically shouted, "Harry, open the door! Harry!" When silence greeted her, Minerva decided she was going to take matters into her own hands, which meant she was going in regardless of what Harry wanted. "Alohomora!" Turning the knob, Minerva blinked in surprise when the door refused to budge. "Alohomora!" she repeated, slightly more forceful this time. "Alohomora! Alohomora!"

Another piercing scream, louder and more heart-wrenching than the last, shook Minerva out of her stupor. "Harry, tell me what's wrong! Harry! Open the door!" When everything became deathly silent, Minerva feared the worst - several morbid possibilities leaping into her mind, none of which was even remotely pleasant.

Turning away from the door, Minerva quickly raced back downstairs and into the living room. If anyone, Dumbledore would know what to do in a situation like this. Grabbing a handful of floo powder, she stepped into the empty fireplace and shouted, "Hogwarts," just as she released the powder. In a burst of sickly green flames, she was gone.

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Standing in front of the Potter's house, Voldemort silently reveled in the exhilaration of the prospect of killing some of his more powerful opponents. As his servants slowly gathered around him, he turned his attention to his more trusted Death Eaters. "Severus - Bella, I want you two to stay out here with a handful of Death Eaters and make sure no one gets in and no one gets out. Kill anyone who gets in your way."

"I wouldn't have it anyway, Milord." Bella answered, dropping to one knee.

"Yes Master." echoed Snape, his stoic expression belying his inner turmoil.

"Regulus, Lucius, and Rodolphus will accompany me inside with the rest." Voldemort added, turning to the last three in his inner circle. "Let it begin." he finished with a soft hiss as he glided towards the front door, blasting it open with a simple charm. Stepping into the living room, he was slightly surprised that it was empty. Save for a weak energy trail that led up stairs, the whole house seemed pretty empty.

"Milord?" Rodolphus asked as he glanced around the room.

"Search the house and kill anyone you come across." Voldemort snarled before following the faint trail of energy upstairs, which stopped before a room labeled, "Room of Harry Potter – Do Not Disturb."

With a silent scoff, Voldemort reached out his hand to turn the knob, but quickly discovered that the door wouldn't budge. Pointing the tip his wand to the door knob, Voldemort hissed, "Alohomora." Much to his annoyance, the door remained obstinately locked. Narrowing his crimson eyes into thin slits, Voldemort moved on to more powerful unlocking spells – determined to open the door at any cost.

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Odion's eyes widened slightly as he watched several cloaked men mill in and out of the house, ransacking and destroying everything they could lay their grubby hands on. Was this really the same house he had visited twenty minutes prior?

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Odion quickly apparated into Harry's room, easily infiltrating the barrier he had created. "What the…?" he whispered incredulously as he felt the barriers around him weaken.

Lifting Harry into his arms, Odion quickly proceeded to focus all his energy onto strengthening the collapsing barrier. Whoever was on the other side of the door was not the same person that had been there twenty minutes ago, Odion deducted. This person was stronger, possibly even more powerful than him, and reeked of dark power and malicious intentions.

Knowing the barrier wouldn't hold much longer under the constant assault, Odion hurriedly grabbed Harry's limp arm and made a shallow cut down the length of it, watching distastefully as the blood pooled on the ground. After sealing the cut, Odion shifted Harry's weight to his right arm and stretched out his left.

A flurry of words erupted from his lips as he chanted the spell in the long-forgotten language of the Ancients. The puddle of blood began to glow a dim gold, slowly turning brighter as Odion neared the end of the spell. Just as the last word of the chant left his mouth, the golden glow receded and the blood began to shift and mold itself into an exact replicate of the child in his arm. When the transformation was finally complete, the duplicated Harry gazed up at Odion with a blank look that was void of both emotion and will. Odion moaned painfully as he tried to cope with the repercussions of the Human Duplication Spell – energy loss and a major migraine.

Locking eyes with the duplicate's dull, emotionless ones, Odion lifted a finger and aimed it at the child's heart. He paused for a second, contemplating his actions, which in a sense, would be no better than a murder's, but in the end, decided that his initial intention would work for the better good of everyone. "Avada Kedavra." As soon as those cursed words left his mouth, the duplicated Harry flopped soundlessly onto the ground, eyes staring unseeingly ahead.

A timeless moment followed as Odion steadied his shaking body by grabbing onto the bed post. He took a shaky breath and smiled sardonically as a thin trail of blood leaked from the edge of his lips and coursed down his chin. "This may really be the end for me…" he whispered, knowing he was going to suffer the consequences of going over his magical limit by performing several powerful spells in close succession. Realizing it was only a matter of seconds before he fainted from exhaustion, Odion quickly tightened his hold around Harry lithe form and apparated out of the house.

A split second after Harry and Odion departed, the door burst open, leaving a slightly perplexed Voldemort staring at the lifeless body of Harry Potter.

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Dumbledore hummed a small, offbeat tune as he exited the room of requirements. There was a slight skip to his walk as he turned the corner. He blinked his eyes in surprise when his Transfiguration Professor smacked straight into his chest, nearly toppling over him in her rush.

"Albus!" Minerva cried with relief as she scrambled off the headmaster.

"Minerva," Dumbledore greeted cordially. "I thought you were watching young Harry for the Potters."

"I am!" Minerva answered, wringing her hands. "Something happened to Harry! He was screaming in pain and when I tried to check on him, the door was locked. I tried the Alohomora charm, but it didn't work. When I asked Harry to open the door, he didn't respond. I think something happened to him! Albus, I don't know what to do! What should I do? Oh, we have to get back there now!"

"Let's go," agreed Dumbledore, the usual twinkle in his eyes disappearing as he hurried towards his office, where the only fireplace linking to the Potters' house resided. He only hoped everything wasn't too late, or else he'd never forgive himself.

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"That was boring." Regulus whispered to Rodolphus.

"That might be because the house was empty." Rodolphus shot back, not in the mood to discuss the raid with his friend.

"Master hasn't said a word since the raid," Bellatrix added, squeezing herself between her cousin and husband, "do you think he's displeased?"

"Right, because Master talks _so_ much when he's in a good mood." Regulus sneered.

"In other words, if Master was displeased, we'd be under the Cruciatus Curse." Rodolphus explained when Bellatrix crinkled her forehead in confusion. "But what I don't understand is why we are taking the time to march back to the manor instead of apparating."

Casting the Dark Lord a weary glance, Regulus answered in a hushed tone, "Maybe he's trying to work out his frustrations by walking."

"What frustrations?" Bellatrix whispered back in an equally soft voice.

"Well, I heard Master hasn't found a decent bed partner in ages…" Regulus whispered excitedly with a suggestive smirk. Faster than he could say, "oops", he found himself at the end of Lord Voldemort's wrath. "M-Master," Regulus gasped painfully, immediately identifying the curse as the Cruciatus Curse (he would know, he cast it almost three times a day, once after each meal). Digging his fingers into the flesh of his palm, leaving bruising indents, Regulus shakily wheezed, "F-Forgive…me!"

"Lord Voldemort does NOT forgive." he hissed, increasing the power of the curse three-fold.

Regulus's eyes bulged as he screamed and writhed in pain, causing his cousin to wince slightly. Bellatrix refrained from covering her ears to block out her cousin's pain-filled cries out of fear of being placed under the same curse for showing weakness. If there was one thing Voldemort did not tolerate, it was weakness, and he had made his philosophy very clear from the very beginning – Those too weak to control their fears and emotions were better off dead. Well, it was one of his many philosophies…it ranked in importance right below the one that said all muggles (and muggle-lovers) were scum; therefore undeserving to walk amongst the living.

"You will do well to remember not to gossip behind Lord Voldemort's back." the Dark Lord hissed, his crimson eyes flashing ominously as he lifted the Cruciatus Curse. "Especially when he's three feet ahead of you." he silently added with a pointed glare at both Bellatrix and Rodolphus, who shrunk back in fear.

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Minerva gasped at the destruction around her as Dumbledore hurried outside without a word to his companion. Tilting his head heavenwards, his suspicions were confirmed at the sight of the Dark Mark hanging ominously above the house. He felt his hands tremble as he hurried back inside. "Minerva…" he began, but immediately dropped what he was going to say when he spotted the Transfiguration Professor slowly walking down the stairs with a small bundle cradled in her arms. "Is that…?" he softly whispered, almost afraid to hear the answer.

"Harry's dead, Albus." Minerva answered, slowly laying Harry's limp form on the couch. "He was just a child! Who would do such a thing?" she suddenly demanded, tears spilling from her eyes.

"It's Voldemort."

"W-What?"

"His mark hangs above this house." sighed Dumbledore as he gently touched Harry's cold cheeks. "I never meant for this to happen. I thought I was doing what was best for everyone by asking Lily, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter to swear to keep their distance from Harry. I always believed Voldemort would try to persuade Harry to join his side by force - Voldemort could and would use anything or any method to achieve his goals. I had thought it was best for Harry to remain unattached. I thought by doing this, I could prevent Voldemort from using the people Harry cares about against him. Never in my wildest dream did I expect Voldemort to actually kill Harry, who was possibly Voldemort's key to world domination."

"Albus…" Minerva whispered. She wanted to comfort the old headmaster and tell him everything was going to be okay…but it wasn't. She turned her head away to allow the headmaster some privacy as he cried.

"Minerva," Dumbledore whispered, his eyes slightly red. "We need to leave. I'm going to take Harry to the Ministry. I need you to go inform Mr. and Mrs. Potter about Harry and ask them to meet me in my office."

Minerva gave a small nod as Dumbledore lifted Harry into his arms. "Albus," she whispered just before the headmaster left. "we all made our own share of mistakes. We're only human, we aren't perfect. Don't take all the blame."

"But Severus had hinted to me several times that the way I had asked everyone to treat Harry was the wrong approach. I should have listened to him, Minerva." whispered Dumbledore sadly. "I'm a old fool for not recognizing something that even James's worst rival had noticed."

"But James, Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Peter chose to obey your orders. You didn't force them to neglect and isolate Harry. You just did what you thought was right - and in a sense, I think your idea made sense. I'm not trying to make you feel better or place the blame on anyone else. All I'm saying is that we'll just have to deal with this problem together, learn from our mistakes, and move on. We can't change history, Albus."

"Thank you, Minerva." Dumbledore replied with a small, sad smile.

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Dumbledore waited with baited breath for the Potters to crash into the office at any minute…He wasn't disappointed when Lily, who looked like she had ran all the way from the Quidditch Stadium to Hogwarts, burst into his office with puffy, red eyes and quivering lips. James appeared behind her a few second later, arms wrapped tightly around Dylan, who looked more annoyed than worried. It took a less than ten seconds for the rest of the group (Moody, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and everyone else who had attended Dylan's birthday) to assemble in the little office, which left Dumbledore little to no space for movement. Actually, it was kind of getting hard to breathe too.

"I wasn't expecting…everyone." Dumbledore stated bluntly as he eyed the array of Aurors and Professors. "Might I suggest we discuss this in a more…shall I say spacious room?"

"No, tell me what happened to my son!" Lily cried. "You promised that he'd be safe as long as we kept out distance from him! You said that as long as he didn't learn magic and stayed home, he'd be safe! You lied to me!"

"Lily…" Dumbledore whispered in a pained voice, his eyes softening slightly as he gazed at the hysterical woman.

"Let's hear what Dumbledore has to say first." James suggested, wrapping a comforting arm around his wife's waist. "Maybe this is all a mistake and Harry is just injured or…"

"James, Harry is dead." Dumbledore interrupted. "We found his body in his room."

At this, Lily released a suffocated sob as fresh tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Voldemort," Dumbledore continued, causing several people to flinch, "finished Harry with the Killing Curse."

"Maybe it's an imposter?" James suggested. "Maybe it isn't…"

"We've ran a blood test and it is indeed Harry." answered Dumbledore, who released a pained sigh. "I didn't think Voldemort would actually kill Harry. I thought he'd try to persuade Harry to align himself with him."

"I should've spent more time with him." Lily sobbed. "I shouldn't have listened to you!" she finished, glaring hatefully at Dumbledore. "If I had taught him magic…he could've defended himself…Harry…" she finished with a strangled cry.

"Even if you had, I doubt Harry would have stood a chance against Voldemort."

"He wouldn't have had to face him if we had brought him to Dylan – no their – birthday!" Lily hissed. "I neglected Harry because I trusted you to make the wise choice! I trusted you when you said it would benefit Harry in the long run if we kept our distance from him!"

"Lily, I'm only human." admitted the headmaster as he picked up a stack of his papers, utilizing it as a fan to give himself some air in the overly crowded room. "I make mistakes like everyone else."

"I lost Harry!" Lily shouted vehemently.

"But wouldn't this give Dylan a fair shot against He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Peter squeaked, "You know, with Harry out of the equation, the balance between Light and Dark is once again balanced...I think."

"Harry is the grain the grain that tips the scale in the upcoming war. While there is a chance that Harry could have turned out good, there's an equal chance that he could have turned out dark." mumbled one of the aurors.

"I don't give a damn." Lily hissed in a dangerously low voice.

"Hey…I'm suffocating…" interrupted Peter, raising his hand as if he were asking for permission to speak. "It's like 200 degrees in here!"

"I am suffocating too," Sirius hissed back, "but this isn't the time for complaining." he growled, swiping the wayward tear from his eyes. He had never been a good godfather to Harry…damn it, he didn't know anything about Harry! He had been to caught up in the prophecy and listening to Dumbledore to care about his godson. He had always dreamed of being the perfect godfather, but this…It wasn't supposed to be like this!

"I for one don't want to die…" Peter continued.

"Shut up, Peter." Sirius yelled, eyes blazing with fury. He knew he was being unfair to his short, chubby friend by venting his anger on him, but damn it, the rat didn't know when to shut up and it was driving him up the edge.

"Both of you; shut up." Remus interrupted as James tightly embraced Lily, trying to offer her what comfort he could give.

"Can I have my cake now?" Dylan asked as he fanned himself with his hand. "I'm hungry." And for once in his life, he was totally and utterly ignored.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"Where is the old coot?" Sheena hissed as she twisted her hand nervously. "He can't possibly have messed up when he specifically told _us_ not to mess up. Fatima, is he here yet?"

"No, he isn't." Fatima replied. "For goodness sake, Sheena, lighten up! Odion's almost 300 years old. He can take care of himself!"

"And it isn't your place to care for him like that. You're not his wife. Odion has a wife and that's Diana."

"Lyon!" Fatima admonished her companion as if he was a 3-year-old child. "You don't have to be someone's husband or wife to care about them. We can care about each others as friends, companions, or even as acquaintances!"

"Damn it, where are you guys?" two voice shouted in unison.

"Roslyn – Simon, we're in the dining room!" Fatima answered at the top of her lungs.

"Come over here, it's Odion, and he's injured!"

"What?" Sheena asked as she rushed out of the dining hall, following the trace of Simon's energy signature onto one of the training grounds. The sight of the barely conscious Odion made her heart twist painfully in her chest as she knelt beside him, gently asking if he was going to be all right.

Taking his left hand, Fatima quickly checked his pulse, paling almost immediately at what she found. "He's used a lot of magic today and he's completely depleted." she explained as Odion's eyes slowly rolled into the back of his head.

"He's dead, isn't he?" Sheena asked with barely controlled horror.

"Um, no," Fatima replied slowly. "Odion's not dead…he's just depleted."

"What do you mean?"

"This," Fatima began, referring to the magical depletion, "on top of the injury he had never completely recovered from fifty years ago…well, I'm afraid he's going into a magical coma."

"This isn't a time for jokes," Roslyn warned as she craned her neck over Sheena's shoulder to get a better look at Odion.

"And when do I ever joke?" Fatima hissed.

"Fatima's telling the truth…Odion's in a magical coma." Lyon whispered after carefully examining their leader.

"Why? What happened?" Sheena whispered hysterically as she tried to shake Odion awake.

"I think we're going to have to ask our Chosen One – that is, if he was conscious during that time. They usually pass out after the initiation. I still remember mine – I was out for days." Simon answered, returning with a frail, little boy with messy black hair in his arms. "If my assumptions are correct, Odion saved this little boy at possibly the cost of his own life. When we," Simon explained, nodding towards Roslyn, "found Odion, he was clutching this boy like a life-line. Odion didn't say anything but his eyes spoke volumes. He wants this boy taken care of."

"You make it sound like we mistreat the brats." Lyon hissed.

"I did not!" Simon retorted. "Well, maybe you do, but the rest of us…"

"That's enough!" Sheena shouted, eyes tearing up. "Fatima," she whispered, looking towards her best friend and medical expert, "is there any way that…?" she asked with a tinge of hope lacing her voice.

"There's a possibility he will never wake up," Fatima began, but quickly added, "but there is an equal chance that he will. We just don't know when. It could be tomorrow, a few days, maybe months, or even years. All we can do for him is ensure he's comfortable and getting the necessary amount of vitamins and minerals while he is unconscious."

"This isn't fair," Sheena whispered as she lightly caressed Odion's cheek.

"Nothing ever is." Lyon snorted, though his eyes softened slightly as the sight of his friend.

An uncomfortable silence followed before Fatima suggested that they move Odion into his room, where he would be most comfortable.

"Hey, he's waking up!" Simon stated incredulously.

"He is?" Sheena asked excitedly, staring expectantly at Odion.

"No, I mean this little guy." Simon whispered, shifting Harry's weight to his other arm. "It's amazing. They're usually out for days…even weeks sometimes. He has potential to be great…it's only been 45 minutes…"

"The same potential as _him_." interrupted Lyon, eyes narrowing slightly. "He had the same potential and power, waking up only minutes after the initiation."

"Give it a rest," Roslyn interrupted. "Not everyone with power is going to turn out bad! Now be quiet, he's opening his eyes."

"I say we kill him before he kills the rest of us after learning all our secrets." Lyon voted.

"You're paranoid." snorted Simon before turning his attention back to the boy in his arms.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

Read and review, please :)

Thanks for the feedback so far!


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Settling In**

8/12/05 - 8/23/05

"Children, I welcome all of you to the Forbidden Island of Mesonia." Roslyn smiled softly as the group of children began to whisper in soft, hushed tones that were brimming with both fear and dread. "For the next seven years, no one will set foot off this Island without permission."

"You can't do that!" a pale girl cried shrilly as tears rolled down her cheeks. "My Mama and Papa will find me and then you'll all pay for kidnapping me! They'll never forgive you! They're auroras!" she added, hopping the last statement was enough to scare her kidnappers into releasing her.

"You're welcome to leave at will." interrupted Sheena, pointing to the set of double oak doors behind the girl. "Well? Why are you still here? Leave!"

The little girl didn't need to be told twice before she was bolting out the door, screaming, "Mama! Papa!"

"Sheena," Roslyn whispered exasperatedly. "Did you really have to do that?"

"Anyone else who doesn't want to stay is allowed to leave too." Sheena continued, ignoring Roslyn.

Ten seconds later, only 5 out of the 11 original Chosen Ones remained rooted to their spots. They looked expectantly up the winding staircase, where Sheena watched them with carefully hidden surprise.

"Aren't you going to go home and cry to your parents?" Sheena sneered, ruining her grandmotherly image (not that she had much of one to begin with).

"I don't have a home and I don't need my parents." Harry answered, pushing himself off the east wall he had been leaning casually against. Taking a few steps towards the staircase, he continued, "I want to stay and learn all you have offered to me two weeks ago."

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_Harry groggily opened his eyes and tried to sit up, but immediately moaned in pain when his whole body protested against his action. "Water…" he croaked as the room spun around him in never-ending circles. When a cup was gently placed against his lips, he quickly snatched the offered cup and greedily finished the water in three, large gulps. _

_"You poor thing," someone whispered before another cup was placed to his lips. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better." _

_Even though his mind was screaming danger, Harry found himself downing the potion without much protest. The effects were instantaneous - the room stopped spinning and everything came into clearer focus. _

_"Don't try to talk too much. You screamed your lungs out earlier - most do, mind you. So, let us do the talking. You just shake or nod your head, okay dear?" _

_Harry slowly nodded his head. _

_"I'm Fatima, the resident Healer - or in other words, Potions and Medical Specialist." she smiled gently before motioning to an elderly woman behind her. "That's Roslyn. The one holding you is Simon." _

_Harry's cheeks tinted a slight pink as he mentally berated himself for not noticing something as obvious as sitting on someone's lap. "Sorry," Harry murmured as he tried to wiggle out of Simon's grasps. Instead of releasing him, like Harry had thought he would, Simon tightened his grip around Harry's lithe frame. _

_"It's all right, my boy." laughed Simon. "I like holding you. It gives me a sense of what it would feel like if I had a grandchild."_

_"More like great-great-great grandchild." smirked Roslyn. "You'll be 359 in a few months."_

_Harry gaped at Roslyn in disbelief, but quickly clamped his mouth shut when he realized that he probably resembled a fish out of the water. Harry allowed a wry grin to grace his lips as he realized that everyone did indeed look old, if not ancient - almost antique. _

_"Don't look so shocked, dear." smiled Fatima. "As I was saying, Roslyn and Simon are the resident Protectors - Defense and Ward Specialists. To the right," she waved to a scowling and grumbling old man, "we have Lyon." Then, motioning to a woman in the far left of the room, she whispered, "And our Deputy Leader, Sheena. Those two are our resident Warriors - Combat and Dark Arts Specialists." _

_Soaking in as much information as he could, Harry slowly nodded his head to show that he understood. _

_"The pain you suffered earlier, dear," Fatima continued, "was for a reason. Do you remember what happened?" _

_Harry grimaced slightly and nodded his head. He doubted he would be forgetting that memory any time soon. _

_"You are one of the twelve Chosen Ones of this generation. Every 50 years, twelve Chosen Ones are…well, chosen…to carry on the knowledge, power, and legacy of the Dragon Riders. We," Fatima motioned to her companions, "are the remaining Chosen Ones from 350 years ago - we are Generation 56. Your generation is Generation 63. In all honesty, we should be retired and the last generation should be the ones training you, but a traitor in our midst wiped out almost all the Dragon Riders from existence - 92 Dragon Riders from 9 different generation died that day along with their families, which adds up to a total body count of over 300. _

_"The remaining members of G-54 and G-55 were wiped out. From my generation, 6 of us survived, but not without sustaining heavy injuries. No one survived from G-57 through G-61. The traitor came from G-62, the generation before yours. 9 Dragon Riders from G-62 were killed. The remaining 3 were the traitors." finished Fatima, who's eyes were brimming with unshed tears. _

_"As you probably realized, Dragon Riders aren't completely human in the sense that we are stronger and smarter than wizards." whispered Roslyn. "The pain you felt earlier meant that your power and potential as a Dragon Rider had been unlocked." _

_"Even if it is against your will, we will train you." Fatima whispered. "However, the training will be more successful if you cooperate. We aren't giving you a choice in the matter - we will give you proper training with or without your consent." _

_"The training is long and hard, but it will be worth your while when you reap the benefits. Since you're not being given much of a choice anyway, why not make it easier on yourself and just accept what you are and what you can become?" _

_"Think about it." agreed Roslyn as Simon gently released Harry. "Don't make things any more difficult than they already are. That's all we ask." _

_"Why are you even talking to him? He'll probably turn out like those bloody traitors!" snarled Lyon as he stormed out of the room, but not before adding, "Mark my words, you will regret training him!" _

_"Forgive Lyon," whispered Fatima. "Lyon lost his whole family to the traitors. He's slightly…unstable." _

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_"Like you said, since I'll be trained either way, with or without my consent, I don't see why I have to make my own life difficult by stopping the inevitable." Harry replied, causing the other four to gasp. _

"You mean you lied when you told us we could leave at will?" asked a tall boy with shoulder length, black hair. "Why did you lie?"

"I didn't lie, boy." hissed Sheena, eyes blazing slightly.

"The name's Aaron."

"Like I said, Aaron," she spat, "I did not lie. Everyone is allowed to leave at will, but actually getting off this island is another story. In case your wondering, this island is large - larger than possible imagination. The Illusionary Forest, a never-ending and ever-changing maze, surrounds this castle (and yes, this is a castle). Even if you somehow knew the way out of the maze, I doubt any one of you would make it out in one piece - dangerous, dark creatures lurk in every corner of the forest. Even then, if you did make out of the forest alive, strong wards enclose the entire island in a protective barrier, making it nearly impossible to leave this island. This is not including the obvious fact that this island is in the middle of nowhere, surrounded on all sides by the ocean, which obviously houses more than enough creatures to devour you in seconds."

"Then why did you…?" Aaron trailed off.

"Since those who left obviously have no desire to stay," explained Harry, "and will probably attempt to escape at one point or another, it would be easier on all of us if they tried to escape now and learn from the very beginning that freedom is hopeless."

"Lyon, Fatima, and Simon will ensure that everyone comes back in one piece by supper." assured Roslyn. "But I better brief everyone on our history and goals - of course, Harry already knows all this." she smiled kindly before diving into the long-winded explanation of their history.

Two hours, 56 interruptions, 47 questions, and 23 shouts of quiet later, everyone was left in an uncomfortable silence. After what seemed like ages, a red-head finally broke the suffocating silence by asking, "Does this mean we weren't abducted by aliens?" he asked innocently.

"No, I'm afraid not." smiled Roslyn, humoring the red-head.

"Dang, I was really looking forward to being a test subject!" he smirked before turning to his peers. "Since we'll be stuck together for the next six to seven years, I think we better give each other our names. After all, we can't very go around calling each other, 'Hey, you, boy, girl, idiot, dunderhead, stupid, and etcetera' for the next seven years, right? The name's Trey." "Aaron - pleasure to be stuck with you guys." he smiled.

"Shan," grinned a lithe boy with short, spiked obsidian hair and chocolate brown eyes. "Might as well make the best of this situation." he agreed. "Plus, the deal doesn't sound to bad. I mean it's free room, free food, and free lessons."

"That's one way to look at it." laughed Aaron before turning his attention to his last two peers, who had yet to introduce themselves. Shifting his attention to Harry, he held out his hand and silently urged Harry to give them his name.

"Harry," he answered, deciding to leave out his last name. Shaking the offered hand, he allowed a small smile to grace his lips.

"Hi," the remaining girl squeaked as she shyly tugged on her waist length, blond hair. "I'm Emily." she murmured before quickly blushing a dark shade of red.

"Don't worry, I don't bite." laughed Trey as Roslyn slowly descended the stairs.

"It's supper," announced Roslyn, "please follow me into the dinning room. The rest of your peers will join you shortly after we have treated their injuries and briefed them on our history and goals."

"Great," cheered Trey, "I'm starving."

Harry silently agreed as his stomach rumbled slightly. Slowly trailing after Roslyn, he silently memorized the passage from the Front Hall to the Dining Room. Even though he had been here for a little over two weeks, waiting for his peers to wake up, he had never once left the safety of the infirmary.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

The Dining Hall was massive and could easily fit up to hundreds of people. Three, long, oak table stretched from one end of the room to the other. Comfy, red-cushioned chairs lined the tables, where the students promptly seated themselves. Immediately, exotic foods from various countries began to pop onto the table - Trey wasted no time in helping himself to large heaps of mashed potato, turkey, fish, and beef.

Harry picked at his small helping of roast beef as he replayed the past weeks' events in his mind. The events were both strange and unexpected, but not exactly unappreciated. Harry decided with a small sigh that he did indeed look forward to the next seven years here - after all, it was better than what he had at home. "The only downside," Harry thought to himself as he took a small bite of his dinner, "is…wait, there isn't a downside." Here, he had everything he had ever dreamed of. Well, everything but his parents, but it wasn't like he had his parents back home anyway. They despised him - everyone did.

"Hey, aren't you going to eat?" asked Aaron as he shoved a forkful of spaghetti into his mouth. "Lighten up Harry, the next seven years can't be THAT bad." he smiled before shifting his attention back to his Shan, who was rambling on about racecars.

"This is my chance to start over and live the life I've always wanted. So what if I don't have a family? I never had one before anyway - I have nothing to lose, but a whole lot to gain." Harry whispered to himself, catching Aaron's attention.

"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of insanity." he grinned. "Want to talk about it? I mean, we're on a stranded island - can't really spread any secrets anyway."

"It's nothing," Harry answered offhandedly before digging into his dinner. From now on, he was going to live his own life. He was going to do everything he wanted. He was going to be Harry - just Harry, not Harry Potter. Never a Potter.

Half-way through dinner, the rest of their peers stumbled into the dining room. Some looked like they had spent their life in hell - everyone was disheveled, bruised, and bandaged. They slowly filled the seats closest to the dining room doors and began scooping food onto their plates. A pregnant pause followed as Trey tried to hide his snicker. He failed and burst out laughing, causing his peers to glare at him.

"You look like mummies!" he laughed before an apple was shoved into his mouth.

"Trey, more eating and less talking before someone decides to tear you limb from limb." Aaron wisely suggested. Even though Trey tried to tone down his laughter, snickers could still be heard in between bites of his apple.

For the first time in many years, Harry truly believed that he belonged. He wasn't sure if he would ever be as outspoken or social as the others (with being locked in the house for the better of his short life), but he was willing to try.

Harry snapped his eyes to the head of the table when Sheena abruptly stood up. "I hope you have all enjoyed your stay thus far," she sneered, "but it is time to turn in for bed. But before I show you to your rooms, Roslyn will brief everyone on what's going to take place first thing tomorrow morning."

Sheena sat back down, allowing the spotlight to be directed to Roslyn. "I'm sorry to those who have sustained injuries today," she began apologetically, which was followed by several large sniffs and sobs, "but life must go on. Am I right to assume that everyone knows the futileness of trying to escape?"

"Yes," the mummified students whispered in unison.

"I know some of you miss your families, but I would advise you to leave behind your sentimentalities. From now on, the only family that you will ever need to know or have are the ones in this castle. I know I'm asking a lot from some of you, but you will understand very soon that no one, not even your own parents, can understand you as much as we can. Now, enough of this - you will understand what I mean soon enough."

"Classes, Roslyn, the classes." Fatima whispered when Roslyn looked like she was struggling to remember what to say next.

"Oh yes, the classes!" laughed Roslyn. "You will have classes Monday - Friday and the classes will vary each day. For example, you might have Transfiguration and Potions on Monday, but Combat and Dark Arts on the following Monday. We'll let you know your schedule every morning at breakfast. But before we start classes, we have to sort you into one of the three fields of magic."

Harry's interest piqued as Roslyn tried to quiet the whispers and exited chatters. Once everyone had calmed down, Roslyn continued with a broad grin.

"The Warriors are the first branch. They specialize in the Dark Arts, Combat, Transfiguration, Charms, and Strategy. On Saturday and Sunday, they will take Advance DR Dark Arts, Combat, Transfiguration, Charms, and Strategy with Sheena and Lyon. In times of war, the Warriors are the ones who lead the troops into battle and fend of enemies. Warriors are well-versed in the Dark Arts and have the ability to cast the Unforgivable Curses with ease. If the Warrior holds tremendous power, it is rumored that they have the ability to cleave mountains in half and cause volcanic eruptions. It is said that only one Warrior in history has been able to accomplish that, but died shortly after from magical exhaustion.

"The Protectors are the second branch. They specialize in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Combat, Charms, Wards, and Ancient Runes. On Saturday and Sunday, they will take Advance DR Defense Against the Dart Arts, Wards, and Ancient Runes with me and Simon. They will take Advance DR Combat and Charms with the Warriors, which is headed by Sheena and Lyon. In times of war, the Protectors are the ones who aide the helpless and defend our fort. Protectors are well-versed in Defense Against the Dark Arts and with diligent practice, they will be able to throw off the Imperius and Cruciatus Curse. Some of the more powerful Protectors in history have been known to successfully shield themselves against the Killing Curse. It is rumored that Protectors with tremendous power can cut through dimensions and even create their own. However, as of now, no Protector in history has ever successfully cut through dimension without forfeiting their own life. Different dimensions will be taught to everyone during History and Ethnics.

"Healers are the third and final branch. Compared to the amount of Dragon Riders who become either Warriors or Protectors, only a handful of Dragon Riders become Healers. There has never been more than two Healers in a single generation. Anyway, Healers specialize in Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and of course, Healing. On Saturday and Sunday, they will take Advance DR Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, and Healing with Fatima. During times of war, Healers stay within the fortress to encourage and heal injured soldiers. Healers, with practice, can heal everything short of poison, troubles of the heart, and death. Accomplished Healers can heal external injuries with a mere thought and internal injuries with a small touch. The first Healer in history has been noted for saving a whole army from the brink of death...but at the cost of her own life. It is rumored that Healers may have the ability to revive the dead, but as of now, that theory has never been proven true."

"Those are the three fields of magic." stated Sheena as Roslyn sat back down. "All of you will be sorted into one of these three fields tomorrow. I wouldn't worry to much, because the magic chooses you…not the other way. You will be given a potion tomorrow that will evaluate your magical core and tell us which is your magical field."

"That aside," continued Fatima, "everyone will take Transfiguration, Potions, Herbology, Dark Arts, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Wards, Ancient Runes, and all that. However, on Saturdays and Sundays, Advance classes will be offered to you depending on your magical field. For example, I am knowledgeable in every subject and even though I don't specialize in Charms, my abilities are still far above those of an average wizard.

"Now you must all be wondering why there are magical fields and Advance classes if you will be taught everything anyway, right? Well, you're partially correct, but you must understand that everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses. For example, Warriors will find that they are unable to heal beyond small scratches and Healers unable to kill or torture. We will make sure that you are adequate in all classes, but Warriors will find that the Dark Arts comes naturally to them and Protectors will find Defense Against the Dark Arts to be simple. The strongest difference is between the Warriors and the Healers. Protectors are in between the two and find that they will be able to relate to both a Warrior and a Healer. The Advance classes are only for your chosen field. These Advance classes will go above and beyond what will be taught in class. What you learn in these Advance classes cannot be found in books or learned from anywhere else. Regular classes from Monday through Friday are the same classes a NEWTS student would take at Hogwarts. But we are not wizards, we are Dragon Riders and that is why we have Advance Classes. We would give everyone Advance classes in every subject, but Healers will fail in Advance Dark Arts as a Warrior would fail in Advance Healing. The Advance Classes you take will all depend on your power and your magical core."

"All right, that's enough. I'm sure everything will become clearer as we progress." interrupted Roslyn. "Now, boys follow Lyon and Simon. Girls followed Fatima and I. We'll show you to your rooms."

Harry slowly followed Simon and Lyon out of the Dining Hall, his mind swirling between the three magical fields. Even though Sheena said the magic chose them, Harry couldn't help but wish that he would either be a Warrior or a Protector. Even though each field had their own strengths and weaknesses, Harry strongly doubted he would enjoy healing.

"Here's your room." Lyon snorted gruffly as he shoved Harry into one of the dark chambers. Before Harry had a chance to reply, the oak doors were slammed shut.

Blinking in the dark, Harry exasperatedly raised his hand and murmured, "Lumos." A bright light erupted from his hand, lighting the whole room, which left Harry gaping in awe. The room was easily three times the size of his bedroom and was lavishly furnished with silver and green tapestries. Walking over to his king-sized bed, Harry gently plopped onto the soft mattress and grabbed one of the many large, fluffy pillows.

Harry smiled softly before whispering, "Nox." The lights went out and he slowly allowed his eyes to drift shut. His dreams that night were filled with magic and classes - his family being the farthest thing from his mind.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

Read and Review, please!


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Monday Morning Sorting**

8/25/05 - 8/28/05

Between small sips of his scalding herbal tea, Simon quickly scribbled an unintelligible lesson plan onto the back of an old recipe that he had snatched off the kitchen counter. Looking up from his handiwork, he regarded his barely intelligible lesson plan with a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his balding head. It did _slightly _horrible, but considering it was a last minute effort, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of pride as he passed his masterpiece to Sheena for inspection.

"You're going to teach the class chicken scratch?" Roselyn asked incredulously as he poked Simon in the chest. Snatching the old parchment from Sheena, who glared venomously, Roselyn proceeded to point out all of Simon's grammatical errors, starting with his punctuation errors and ending with his improper noun usages. Turning the parchment over, Roselyn's eyes widened with each passing word - this was the recipe to her favorite dish!

"Stop giving me those looks - I know what you're thinking!" Simon grumbled as Roselyn continued to gape at the recipe. "You're all probably thinking, 'Simon really is an old fool, getting more stupid and senile by the year - how could he forget something as important as the class lesson plan?' Well, what's done is done and at least I have an outline, right?" he grinned as he snatched the old parchment from Roselyn's trembling hands. "I hope no one needs this recipe," he added as an afterthought, waving the parchment wildly in the air, "because they won't be getting it back any time soon."

"I'm going to murder you, you stupid old badger," hissed Roslyn as she gazed longingly at the old parchment, "that was my favorite recipe for chocolate flavored lasagna!"

A pregnant pause followed.

"Disgusting," cried Fatima, breaking the silence. "Who in their right mind would eat _chocolate _flavored lasagna? That's just plain sick."

"Obviously, Rose eats it, but I'm not entirely sure if she's sane. Lord knows how insane she is at times." snorted Simon. "And I don't see why this parchment should matter." he quickly continued, waving the old parchment in front of Roselyn's nose. "I mean, when was the last time you actually cooked your own meal? If you wants chocolate flavored lasagna, the house elves are more than capable of making it. You know, we have house elves for a reason, right?"

"As interesting as this conversation is," growled Lyon, interrupting Roselyn, who had just opened her mouth to retort that she enjoyed cooking her own meals, "someone has to go wake up the brats. It's almost 6 AM."

"All in favor of Lyon raise your hands!" grinned Roselyn, the recipe temporarily forgotten.

Lyon scowled as his lips curled upwards in disgust at the prospect of touching the slimy midgets.

"Children," sighed Fatima, sending both Roselyn and Lyon a hard glare, "simmer down." With three, clear claps, 11 house elves popped out of thin air. As soon as the house elves assembled themselves into three rows of 3, 4, and 4, Fatima softly ordered, "Go wake up the children - try not to startle them to much - the infirmary won't be open until tomorrow morning so we don't want any unnecessary casualties."

With an excited chorus of, "Yes ma'am," the house elves eagerly departed with a small 'pop'.

"Now, that wasn't too hard, was it?" Fatima asked as she picked up her small plate of strawberry shortcake. "I think we sometimes forget we have house elves for other reasons other than meals and housework."

Roselyn shrugged nonchalantly as she seated herself in the cushioned chair beside Simon. "Don't think I forgot about my precious recipe," she hissed before quickly burying her face in the Daily Prophet, which served as their only link to the outside world.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

A relatively young-looking elf peered curiously at the slumbering boy, who was sleeping half-way on and half-way off the bed. His body was tangled within the bed sheets, though how he ended up that way was anyone's guess. The house elf smiled softly as she hobbled over towards the green curtains that decorated the east wall. Grabbing the velvety fabric of the curtains, she gently pulled them back, allowing a stream of sunlight to pour through the ornately decorated glass doors that led to the balcony that overlooked the Black Lake, which, if possible, looked even murkier than the day before.

After tying the curtains in place, she looked back towards the bed and watched with slight amusement as the boy rolled onto his stomach and shoved his head under the volumes of pillow in an attempt to block out the sunlight. She grinned slightly as the boy snored softly - the image he made was so adorable that the house elf almost decided to let him sleep in. However, the more rational part of her mind reminded her that she would be signing her own death warrant (at the hands of Lyon) if the boy didn't get down to the Dining Hall by 7:30.

With a regretful sigh, she reached out her hand and gently shook the boy's shoulders. The boy groaned softly and lazily shrugged off the elf's hands before rolling across the bed so his back was facing the elf. The elf sighed softly before trotting to the other side of the bed so she was face to the face with the young child. She gently nudged the boy in the ribs…no response…she tried again…and finally, after what seemed like hours, the child's eyes slowly fluttered open, revealing innocent emerald-green orbs.

"Who…what?" Harry demanded blearily as he yawned. As his eyes gradually came into focus, he found himself staring into a pair of rather large, bulbous blue eyes that were flecked with spots of gold. Harry blinked once, twice, and finally, after comprehending that he was staring into a pair of unknown eyes, quickly scrambled backwards in an attempt to place as much distance as he could between himself and the unknown house elf.

Out of self-defense, Harry slashed his hand through the air and murmured a small wind charm that he had learned two years back, which sent the elf sailing through the air and crashing into the west wall with a loud bang.

The house elf immediately jumped to her feet and bowed as she apologized profusely for angering Harry. "Mazy is very sorry sir!" the house elf cried as she dropped to her knees. "I is so sorry! Mazy didn't mean to startle sir! Forgive Mazy, sir!" she bawled as she slammed her head repeatedly into the ground.

"Oh…it's all right," Harry murmured as he slipped out of bed. "You can stop hitting yourself." he stated as he looked around his room. Spotting the pair of glass doors, he quickly made his way towards them and carefully grasped the one of the marble handles, which was carved into the shape of a ferocious dragon. Turning the handle slightly to the right, the glass doors smoothly swung open with a small click, allowing a small breeze to filter into the room. Looking back towards the groveling house elf, Harry asked, "What were you doing in my room?"

"Oh, Mistress Fatima told Mazy to wake sir up!" the elf chirped as she gazed adoringly towards Harry. "Sir needs to be down at the Dinning Hall by 7:30, it is 6:23 right now."

"Stop calling me sir, it makes me sound old - I'm only eight. Call me Harry." Harry ordered as he stepped out onto the balcony.

"What is Harry sir doing?" the house elf asked curiously as she turned her full attention to pig sty that was Harry's bed. With a snap of her small, grubby fingers, the bed was magically cleaned and rearranged so that everything looked neat and immaculate.

"It's nice to be able to feel the breeze without fearing that someone would catch me outside without supervision." Harry whispered under his breath as he levitated himself off the ground so he could look over the marble railings. His eyes were immediately drawn to the Black Lake and it's inky depths.

"Sir?" Mazy asked softly as Harry lapsed into silence.

"Why is there a lake on this island?" Harry asked.

"The Black Lake has been on this island for as long as Mazy can remember." the elf honestly answered. "Even though everyone calls this place an island (because it's surrounded by water on all sides)," Mazy explained, "I knows that this island is more than enough to comfortably house several large civilization. The only reason no one has ever discovered this island is due to the strong wards placed around this haven by the exalted Protectors from Generation 12."

"Interesting," Harry whispered as his eyes glittered slightly. Slowly lowering himself to the ground, Harry stepped back into his room and closed the balcony doors behind him with a small click.

"Harry sir should clean up. Master Lyon does not like to wait." Mazy suddenly whispered as she remembered her initial task. "Master Lyon will make Mazy oven her hands if Harry sir is late!" she cried in distress.

"I'll be done in a few." Harry answered as he stepped into the adjoining room that he assumed to be the bathroom. Inside the carpeted bathroom, which was roughly twice the size of his old bedroom, he found all the essential items he needed - towels, cups, toothpaste, toothbrush, combs, mirrors, and even a small table with matching green couches.

Shrugging slightly, he quickly headed towards the shower and turned on the water so that it was neither too hot nor too cold. After he found his favored temperature, Harry quickly stripped and stepped into the lukewarm water.

Half an hour later, Harry emerged from the bathroom soaking wet, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Looking around his room, he was surprised to find Mazy standing dutifully beside his king-sized bed.

"Harry sir must hurry." Mazy urged as she trotted towards Harry's built-in, walk-in closet. "What does Harry sir want to wear today? Something nice for the sorting?" she asked eagerly.

Unsure of what to say, Harry just mutely nodded his head. He watched with slight amusement as Mazy pulled several beautiful, silk robes from the closet. After laying each robe gently side-by-side on the bed, Mazy stepped back and bowed her head.

"Which one does Harry sir want to wear today?" asked Mazy. "Harry sir will get more formal robes once Harry sir is sorted. Until the sorting, Harry sir cannot wear black, blue, or white."

"Why?" Harry asked curiously as he carefully fingered a forest-green robe.

"Black is the formal color of the Warriors, blue the color of the Protectors, and white the color of the Healers." answered Mazy.

"Oh," Harry replied distractedly as he picked up the green robe. "I'll wear this one."

"Great choice, Harry sir!" agreed Mazy as she carried the rest of the robes back into the closet. "Mazy will wait for Harry sir outside." Without waiting for an answer, Mazy disappeared with a small 'pop'.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

Harry hurriedly emerged from his room a few minutes later and nearly tripped over Mazy, who had been standing guard in front of the door. The house elf immediately dropped to her knees and apologized profusely for being careless.

"I'm fine," sighed Harry. "Come on, get up. I'm not mad. Can you show me where the Dining Hall is? I can't remember where it was."

"Yes, yes, of course Harry sir!" chirped Mazy as she leapt back to her feet. "Follow Mazy, Harry sir!" she smiled as she led Harry towards the Dining Hall. "Mistress Sheena will tell you where to go for sorting after breakfast." she explained as she pushed open the double oak doors. Standing to one side, Mazy quickly hunched her back as Harry swept past her to join his peers at the dining table.

"Hey Harry!" waved Shan as he motioned to the seat across from him. "Aaron and I saved you and Trey a seat. Though, we honestly have no clue where Trey is." he grinned as he poured himself a cup of orange juice.

"Probably drowned in the shower." snorted Aaron as he shook his head, splaying water all across the table, earning several shouts of, "Hey, watch it!"

"Or tripped down the stairs and landed himself in the infirmary." grinned Shan, catching onto the game.

"For your information, I'm very much alive - save when the blasted elf nearly scared the life out of me by jumping on my bed." groaned Trey as the Dining Hall doors slammed open. Plopping himself into the empty chair beside Harry, he continued to recount the events that morning, beginning with the damnable house elf who had no manners and ending with nearly getting lost in his labyrinth of a bathroom. "Even though I've been an orphan for as long as I can remember," Trey yawned as he helped himself to a large bowl of beef porridge, "I doubt normal people have such large rooms or bathrooms."

"Yeah," agreed Aaron between scoops of his cereal, "I mean the bed was huge too. I only took up a quarter of the bed."

Harry helped himself to a cup of milk as Aaron and Shan recounted their epic adventures that morning.

"Hey, what field do you think we'll be sorted into?" Aaron asked excitedly, abruptly changing the subject as he scooped a spoonful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. "I think a warrior sounds way cool."

"I'm hoping for Healer." stated Shan as he sipped on his orange juice.

"Why?" asked Aaron. "Nothing against healing and all that, of course."

"I don't know," answered Shan, "I guess I just like the idea of being able to save someone from death." he whispered before quickly turning his attention to Harry. "What field do you want to be in?"

"Probably either Protector or Warrior, but it doesn't really matter because we won't have a choice." answered Harry as he nibbled on the edge of his ham and cheese sandwich.

"What about you, Trey?" asked Aaron, turning his gaze to the red-head just in time to watch him fall face-first into his porridge.

Harry grinned slightly as the dining room burst into laughter.

"Sure, sure, laugh at me." muttered Trey as he scraped the residue porridge from his face, which was flaming as red as his hair.

"I hope you all had a good night's rest." smiled Roslyn, who had just entered the Dining Hall. "If everyone is done, please follow me. We will now proceed to the long-awaited sorting." Without waiting for a reply, she and her companions swept out of the dining room and headed towards the Potions Chamber, which was located beneath the castle.

With a silent sigh, Harry and the others quickly followed. Shuffling down a set of winding staircases, they finally arrived before a large set of ominous, black doors. They waited with baited breath as Sheena gently pushed the doors inward, allowing the children entrance into the massive, underground potion's lab.

"Welcome to my humble abode," smiled Fatima she set out 11 purple vials. "We will commence with the sorting as soon as Lyon closes the door." As the last student slipped into the room, Lyon slammed the doors shut with a loud clang, shaking the whole room and rattling the potion bottles. "Be careful, Lyon!" Fatima hissed as cradled her beloved potions.

Sheena, ignoring Fatima, who was lecturing Lyon on the virtue of courtesy, walked to the front of the room and pulled out a small sheet of paper. Scanning through the paper's contents, she softly cleared her voice and began.

"You will come up here when I call your name and Fatima will give you one of these purple vials. Once you drink the potion, your body should proceed to emit a faint glow. If you emit a black glow, you fall into the Warrior field. If you emit a blue glow, you belong to the Protector field. And last of all, if you emit a white glow (and yes, you will be able to see it), you are in the Healer field. Any questions?" she asked sharply before quickly continuing. "The sorting begins. Aaron, age nine."

Aaron jumped when his named was suddenly called out of the blue. Trey gave him a thumbs up as Aaron nervously trudged towards Fatima, who carefully handed him one of the purple vials. Uncorking the potion, he took a deep breath and quickly downed the whole bottle in a single gulp. A few seconds passed before his body began to emit a black glow.

"Warrior," Sheena dully stated as if the sorting was the most mundane thing in the whole world. With a snap of her fingers, Aaron's maroon robes were replaced by black robes with intricate silver linings. "Lacy will be your personal house elf from this day forward." she continued as a blond elf with small blue eyes popped into the room and bowed to Aaron, who looked slightly taken aback. "Amy, age eight."

Aaron was herded by Roslyn to the other end of the room as the pale girl with the aurora parents from the day before accepted one of the purple vials from Fatima. It took several minutes for the effects to take place after she swallowed the potion (much to everyone's impatience), before the unmistakable black glow began to seep out of her body. Aaron made a gagging face as Amy was sorted into the same field as him.

"Warrior, assigned house elf - Don." continued Sheena, who looked even more unhappy than before. "Crystal, age eight…Warrior, assigned house elf - Van."

Aaron rolled his eyes and mouthed, "Is everyone going to be a Warrior?"

Trey, catching Aaron's silent words, mouthed back, "Maybe."

"Emily, age eight…Healer, assigned house elf - Sown." announced Sheena as Emily's red robe was replaced by a white robe with delicate, green trimmings. "Harry, age eight."

Harry's eyes snapped towards Sheena, who was glaring heatedly at him.

"Come on, go." whispered Trey as he gave Harry a small push towards Fatima.

Stumbling slightly, Harry quickly regained his balance and moved forward to accept the purple vial from Fatima. Uncorking the potion, he quickly downed the potion, grimacing slightly as the tasteless liquid slithered down his throat. Before he had even swallowed half the potion, a brilliant blue glow erupted from his body, causing Amy to shriek in fright.

"Shut up, you silly girl!" snapped Sheena as the glow around Harry slowly receded, but unlike the others, did not completely vanish. "Protector," spat Sheena as Harry's green robe was magically replaced by a soft, silky, midnight-blue robe with beautiful red designs along the edges. "Assigned house elf - Mazy."

Harry suppressed a grin as he joined Aaron on the other side of the room. "First Protector so far." Aaron grinned as he thumped Harry on the back. "That was some show!" Harry just nodded his head mutely, his eyes trained towards Lyon, who was glaring murderously at him.

"Jason, age nine…Warrior, assigned house elf - Sleaze."

"Not another warrior!" bemoaned Aaron as the blond-haired boy joined his ranks.

"Katherine, age eight…Protector, assigned house elf - Dazzle."

"Yes!" cheered Aaron.

"You know her?" asked Harry, quirking an eyebrow as the blonde-haired girl stepped towards them.

"She's pretty," Aaron grinned, "but I don't know her. Well, it seems all the good luck goes to you! She's a Protector too, so you'll have a lot of classes together!" Aaron whispered excitedly. "But I'm still glad she's not a Warrior…there's too many of us as it is."

"Lance, age ten…Warrior, assigned house elf - Flake."

"See what I mean?" Aaron demanded darkly.

"Shan, age nine." called Sheena as Aaron perked at the mentioned name. A few moments passed before she continued, "Protector, assigned house elf - Blob."

"Dang, why couldn't you have been a Warrior? Now who's going to keep me company?" demanded Aaron as Shan joined them, donning the customary blue robes for Protectors. "Anyway, congratulations," he smiled, "even though you didn't get into your desired field."

"Yeah, a pity." agreed Shan. "And who in the world would name their house elf Blob?" he snorted as Aaron chuckled lightly.

"Stacy, age eight…Protector, assigned house elf - Glean."

"Good luck, she looks like a real snob - like Amy." whispered Aaron as Shan shook his head in disbelief. "What?" Aaron demanded incredulously.

"You don't even know her and you're already stereotyping her." Shan sighed as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Haven't you ever heard the saying, 'Never judge a book by its cover?' She could turn out to be a sweet, caring girl."

"You're Protectors too, right?" asked Stacy as she rounded on the three boys. "The name's Stacy - my father is an Unspeakable and my mother is a medi-witch." she said, turning up her nose haughtily.

"Not likely." snorted Aaron as Stacy stalked off towards Amy. "I'm a great judge of character."

"And finally," sighed Sheena, who sounded oddly relieved, "Trey, age nine…Healer…"

"WHAT?" shouted Trey as his brown robes were replaced by immaculate, white ones. "I don't want to be a sissy healer! I'm a guy!"

"Healer is a perfect occupation for a man." stated Fatima, narrowing her eyes dangerously, daring Trey to argue. "You will eventually enjoy the art of healing! It is a respectable profession."

Trey grumbled to himself as he joined the rest of his friends, who were all snickering, save Harry, who looked like he was trying to hide his mirth behind a façade of indifference.

"You may all follow Roselyn back to the dining room for a small snack. Your first class will start in half an hour. You have Transfiguration with me." Sheena stated before heading out of the potion's lab.

Before she could fully leave, Katherine shouted, "Please, wait!"

"What do you want?" Sheena demanded as the blonde girl smoothed the imaginary creases out of her blue robes.

"You told us yesterday that there were 12 Chosen Ones," Katherine began, "only 11 were sorted today. What happened to the last Chosen One?"

"We suspect he died before the Initiation." explained Roselyn when Sheena looked like she was about to shout, 'None of your business'. "When the Initiation began, we were sent to collect you. We located all of you by means of the blinking red dots on the Initiation maps - these dots target the abnormal energy that belongs solely to Dragon Riders and Chosen Ones. However, instead of the customary 12 dots that appear (not including ours) when Chosen Ones are selected, only 11 appeared. That leads to the conclusion that your peer either died before the Initiation or is being heavily guarded by wards even WE can't penetrate. There are hardly any wards that can fool the Initiation map, which leads us to the conclusion that the last Chosen One is dead."

"Oh, thank you." Katherine whispered softly.

"She's either real smart or real observant." whispered Trey. "I didn't even notice we were missing someone!"

"Of course you wouldn't notice." muttered Aaron as they trudged out of the potion's lab, spirits slightly daunted by the news of the death of one of their peers.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

Back in the Dining Hall, the breakfast dishes were replaced by large plates of assorted treats and desserts. Giving a loud whoop of joy, Trey hurriedly dived head first into the desserts and started stuffing everything edible into his watering mouth. Shan shook his head disapprovingly before cutting himself a small slice of the double chocolate fudge cake.

"Trey," sighed Aaron, draping his right arm around the red-head's neck, "you're going to die eating someday."

"Ven I vie a vapvy wan." shouted Trey, splaying bits of food across Aaron's grinning face. Aaron grin dissolved into a disgusted frowned as he tried to wipe the food particles off his face.

"You sick idiot!" Aaron groaned as Shan stifled a small chuckle. "And what the heck did you just say?"

"I think he said, 'Then I die a happy man.'" Harry replied as he helped himself to a cup of ice water. Noticing the looks he was receiving, Harry explained, "I have a lot of experience when it comes to deciphering words of a pigging idiot. I had a twin who ate just about as much as Trey."

"You have a twin?" Shan asked curiously. "Were you guys close?" he asked softly, afraid he had touched a sensitive spot. He read somewhere that twins shared a special bond…

"I _had_ a twin." Harry responded, empathizing the word 'had'. "We were about as close as I can chuck Mount Everest." Harry snorted. "We looked and acted nothing alike. He had _dad's _onyx eyes, _mum's _red hair, and the world's largest ego." Harry spat, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Borbange vuce?" Trey helpless offered, holding up a large tank of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"No thanks," Harry declined, shaking his head. "Sorry," he murmured, "I didn't mean to blow up like that. Can we not talk about _them_ anymore?"

"Vo?" asked Trey, blinking his eyes.

"What?" asked Aaron.

"I think he said, 'Who?'" answered Shan, who seemed to be quickly learning the sacred language of nonsense. "Harry, I know this probably doesn't mean much, but we're family…in a sort of weird, wacky way."

"Yeah," Harry whispered. "Any family's better than the one I had."

Shan looked towards Aaron for help. Aaron shrugged helplessly and looked towards Trey for advice. Trey blinked and tried to offer them sweets. Shan rolled his eyes and muttered, "Why do we even bother asking him?"

The tense silence was broken by a soft buzz, which gradually becoming louder and louder. Aaron's eyes widened to the size of saucers as little blue fairies began popping into the room.

"Wow," Trey whispered, stuffing the last piece of treacle tart into his mouth, "they're multiplying - it's an army of fairies!"

"No," Harry whispered as scared shrieks filled the dining room.

"They're Cornish Pixies!" shouted Katherine as the blue blobs began racing towards them.

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, snapping out of his stupor. Three pixies dropped to the ground…hundreds more to go.

"The doors locked!" shouted Aaron over the loud buzz.

"Try Alohomora!" Harry shouted back as he and some of his peers tried to fend off the attacking pixies.

"I don't know how to the wandless magic!" Aaron desperately cried back. "I only know accidental magic!"

Quickly scanning the room, Harry noticed that he was indeed the only one capable of wandless magic. Everyone else was either screaming or fighting the pixies with their fists. "Great," he muttered as he performed one of the harder spells he had seen, but never tried, "Murus!" A light blue barrier erupted from his fingertips, successfully stopping the pixie attacks…for now. "Move aside," Harry bellowed as he made his way towards the doors. Pointing a finger to the doorknob, he shouted, "Alohomora!"

Nothing happened.

"Alohomora!" he tried again. The door didn't budge. Turning to face the pixies, he whispered, "The doors' locked. Be prepared to fight. My barrier is cracking."

"No, I can't fight them!" cried Amy. "They'll kill me!"

"Cornish Pixies are not dangerous," interrupted Katherine. "Just potentially hazardous in the sense that we might leave with a missing limb or two."

"Thanks for the moral support." Trey muttered darkly. "That makes me…" he trailed off as his face and body were suddenly covered with sticky, purple boils. "It's itching!" he cried as he scratched his arms and face, "and it hurts!".

"What's going on?" Aaron whispered as the rest of his peers' skin began to erupt with boils too.

"It's the food." Harry whispered with dawning realization as everyone who had eaten the desserts began to sprout purple boils.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

Please read and review.

Author's Note:

_Thanks for the reviews so far, it's really inspiring, since this is my first real attempt at writing a story. I also appreciate the criticism - it's nice to have people point out in spots in which I can improve. _

_However, I don't appreciate pointless flames (which have been deleted) - I know I don't have the best grammar or the most complete vocabulary, but seeing as English is my third language, I think I'm doing okay. _

_Lastly, someone has brought to my attention that I have too much dialogue and not enough description. I like dialogue, so it'll be there a lot - but I'll try to add more description and personality to my original characters (but don't expect much - it's really hard to describe what I'm thinking because I can't find the right words)._

Well, that's that! I hope I won't have to leave anymore author's notes because I really don't like them all that much myself. Anyway, I tried to make this chapter longer because, guess what, school started for me today. I don't know when I'll update again (depends on homework and stuff, but hopefully soon), but I will continue!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Injury Infamy **

9/4/05 – 9/11/05

Harry groggily awoke to loud hisses, annoyed whisperers, and the occasional shout of, 'Idiot, imbecile, or dimwit'. As his blurry vision swam into focus, he silently wondered if he had died and went to heaven. There was no other plausible explanation. Everything around him was way too white and spotless – it was unnerving.

"I think we're dead."

"And I think you're demented!"

"The room's too white! It's inhuman!"

"What does that have to do with us being dead, you stupid prat!"

Harry's whole body ached in protest as he gently propped himself against the hospital bed's rickety, old headboard. Looking across the room, Harry was startled to find Shan's usual calm, chocolate-brown eyes filled with worry and anxiety. Shaking himself out of his stupor, Harry slowly nodded his head to show that he was fine. Shan visibly relaxed and shot Harry a small grin.

"Do you think we're in heaven or hell?"

"Why are we even having this discussion?"

"It's too white to be hell, but too torturously clean to be heaven…"

"Shut up, imbecile! I'm getting a headache from your incessant yapping."

"You know you can't resist my charm!"

"What charm? …Unless you're referring to that purple face of yours."

"HEY! I resent that!"

Harry resisted the strong urge to slap his forehead in frustration as Aaron and Trey continued to bicker back and forth. He didn't know what had caused the initial argument, but by the darkening look on Shan's face, Harry had a pretty good guess that the dispute had started over something entirely stupid and insignificant.

"Shut up before I strangle you." Aaron venomously hissed, sending small shivers of foreboding running down Trey's spine.

"What's going on?" Harry mouthed, hoping Shan knew how to lip read.

"Don't know," Shan mouthed back with a small shrug.

Trey fidgeted nervously from the bed beside Harry's when what had started out as small dispute turned into something much more morbid and sinister. Trey suddenly found himself incapable of looking Aaron in the eyes – eyes that were filled with both rage and hatred. Looking away from Aaron's piercing glare, Trey nearly jumped out his bed when he found himself at the receiving end of Harry's scrutiny.

"What's going on?" Harry quietly inquired as he chanced a quick glance at Aaron.

"Nothing," Trey answered. "How long have you been up?" he lamely asked in an attempt to the change the subject. Harry hardened his glare and waited patiently for Trey to answer his question. "What's with the solemn looks? Who died?" Trey joked, "I mean, who died besides us?"

"For the last freaking time, we're not dead!" Aaron yelled in frustration, throwing up his hands in defeat. "Get it through your thick skull!"

"You think they have desserts here in heaven…or are we in hell?" Trey asked with a small, lopsided smile as he scratched his purple nose. Harry narrowed his eyes in suspicion as Trey continued to ignore Aaron's hurtful words by rapidly changing subjects.

"You resemble a rotten, squeezed grape and you're still wondering about food?" Aaron asked exasperatedly. "What a pig!"

"The food was poisoned." Harry stated.

"Well, I know." Trey answered indifferently. "But there's no need to starve myself, right? Plus, I think purple looks good on me."

"Purple isn't on you!" Shan snorted uncharacteristically. "You _are_ purple."

"I think we're missing the point here." Harry interrupted as he examined the room. "Where are we and what happened? The last thing I remember is you three and the Cornish Pixies and then nothing."

"Same here...but I didn't see myself." Trey piped in.

"Thanks for your oh-so-helpful input, you purple idiot!" snapped Aaron.

"Are you all right, Aaron?" Shan asked worriedly as he massaged his temple with the pads of his fingers, making him appear more like an old man rather than a 9-year-old boy. "You're acting weird. We all know Trey can be slightly insufferable at times (this was answered by an indignant cry of protest from the aforementioned redhead), but you shouldn't snap at him like this. He's our friend and we have to be patient with him – no matter how slow he might be at times."

"You make me sound like a demented kid." Trey muttered darkly.

"You are a kid." Shan sighed.

"And you're more than just demented." Aaron coldly added before tightly clamping his mouth shut. Shaking his head slightly to clear his thoughts, Aaron whispered apologetically. "Sorry guys, I don't know what came over me. I just…"

"Couldn't control your hostile feelings?" Fatima finished as she entered the room balancing four bowls of chicken soup on a silver platter with one hand. Passing out one bowl of soup to each of her patient, she sighed, "We expected as much."

While Fatima was making sure that everyone was comfortably propped in their beds, the rest of her companions filed into the room – some of which (namely Sheena and Lyon) with less than pleased looks.

With a wave her hand, Sheena transfigured 5 hospital beds into cozy rocking chairs and assembled them into a neat row before claiming the one in the middle. After everyone was comfortably seated, she more or less shouted, "You're all idiots!"

"What's it to you, old hag?" retorted Aaron.

"What were we supposed to do?" demanded Trey. "Maybe we should have just stood in the middle of the dining room and waved a small, neon pink flag that said, 'eat me, I taste like apple pie,' when the pixies had attack." Trey snorted, pressing his lips together to form a thin line.

"The pixies weren't even dangerous." Sheena hissed.

"How would you…" Aaron venomously began.

"You set the pixies!" Harry furiously concluded as his eyes blazed with fury. "And you poisoned the food!" he added before dumping the contents of his untouched soup to the ground. Shan followed suit by dropping the whole bowl with a resounding clatter. Aaron, by far, did the worst by chucking the bowl towards Lyon, who easily saved himself by transfiguring the bowl of steaming soup into a harmless beach ball. As for Trey, well, he just burped and dropped his empty bowl.

"Um…it was good?" Trey murmured.

Shan rolled his eyes heavenward and whispered, "With the way he eats, I'll be surprised if Trey somehow manages to survive past his 15th birthday."

"Calm yourselves." Simon interrupted, realizing that he had better explain everything before someone started shooting off curses. "We didn't mean to harm any of you. It was only a test on your survival skills – in all honesty, we had expected everyone to scream and run like headless chickens. We swear we were going to intervene after 15 minutes…we just didn't count on you four knowing how to Power Transfer – which I must say is a _very _dangerous technique."

At the blank and confused looks they were receiving from the children, Fatima decided she had better start from the very beginning of the story. "When we unlocked the Dining room doors, we naturally expected to see everything in utter chaos. However, what was did see was nothing like what we had expected. Seeing you four standing in the middle of the Dining Hall, fending off the pixies using the Power Transfer technique, shocked us more than you would care to imagine…"

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

_Roselyn hurriedly unlocked the Dining Hall doors and burst into the room with Fatima and Simon in tow. They skidded to a quick stop and took a small step back when they sensed the dangerous amount of raw energy cackling in the air. Their eyes were immediately drawn to the four students standing stock-still in the middle of the hall. _

_ Harry, apparently the ringleader, stood at the very front with his hands held out in front of himself. Behind him, Shan and Trey stood shoulder to shoulder. Trey had his dark purple left hand on Harry's right shoulder, and Shan had his slightly less purple right hand on Harry's left shoulder. Behind them, Aaron stood rigidly with one hand on Trey's shoulder and another on Shan's. All four students were enveloped in a dark blue glow that throbbed with both power and life. _

_ "Goodness," Roselyn breathed, quickly catching the rest of the student's attention. _

_ Amy and Stacy, noticing the opened doors behind Roselyn, quickly bolted out of the room and made a bee-line for their bedrooms, nearly trampling over a scowling __Lyon__ in their excitement to escape. After muttering several obscenities under his breath and threatening to skin the two girls, __Lyon__ quickly entered the dining room._

_ "What the…" Lyon growled as soon as he entered the room, but quickly stopped mid-curse when he felt a jolt of raw energy pulse through his veins. Quickly snapping himself out of his stupor, __Lyon__ shouted, "Fools, what are you just standing there for? Get everyone else to evacuate the room before they're blown to pieces!" _

_Lyon__ watched with growing horror as the students made a mad rush for the door. He barely had time to fling himself out of the doorway before the students were storming out of the room. _

_ "Brats!" hissed __Lyon__ before turning his attention back to the four troublesome nuisances. Marching over to Harry, he roughly grabbed the boy's arm in an attempt to snap him out of his trance, but quickly retaliated in pain when a surge of raw power scorched the palm of his hand. _

_ "__Lyon__, are you all right?" __Fatima__ asked worriedly. _

_ "Fine!" shouted __Lyon__, eyes blazing with fury. No brat was going to show him up – intentionally or not! _

_ "__Lyon__, don't you dare! They don't know what they're doing! You can't kill them!" __Fatima__ shouted in horror when the dining tables began to self-combust. "Let Roselyn and I handle this." _

_ Not waiting long enough for a reply, __Fatima__ quickly linked hands with Roselyn. The duo immediately fell into a light trance as they concentrated their energies into subduing the children's. The furniture in the room began to magically explode as the two opposing energies clashed. Simon quickly jumped out of the way when a wayward clash of energy decimated the exact same area he had been occupying seconds before. _

_ "I'm getting too old for this…" Simon whispered helplessly._

_ "What the hell?" shouted Lyon as a loud explosion of energies sent both Fatima and Roselyn colliding into his body, knocking the breath out of his lungs. "Stupid women," __Lyon__ groaned as Roselyn daintily lifted herself off of him. _

_ "Better you than __me.__" grinned Simon._

_ "Get off me!" __Lyon__ hissed at __Fatima__. "Get off me and go check on your stupid brats!" _

_ In a heart beat's notice, __Fatima__ was back on her feet and kneeling beside the children, missing the annoyed look that flashed across __Lyon__'s face. "Brats," __Lyon__ hissed and stalked out of the dining room. _

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"And that about sums up what happened when we found you four." Fatima concluded. "Now, I want you to truthfully answer me…Where did you learn how to Power Transfer?"

"I don't know." Shan answered. "Trey and I just did what Katherine instructed us to do when Harry said he needed more energy to keep up the barrier, which was our only line of defense against the invading army of pixies. Truthfully, I don't remember much of the ordeal at all. As soon as I touched Harry and concentrated on sending him my energy, I blanked out."  
"Really blanked out." confirmed Trey. "I didn't even know Aaron joined us until you told us."

"I didn't want to be left out so I joined them." Aaron replied with a scowl when Simon shot him a questioning glance.

"What you did was…was…stupid!" Fatima raged. "You could have lost your _life_! The Power Transfer technique is only reserved for partners with compatible energies! Do you know what could have happened if we hadn't stopped you in time?"

"Can you just get on with it, old hag!" Aaron shouted. "Some of us actually have lives to live!"

Ignoring Aaron, Fatima raged on, "That transfer could have drained you of all your reserve energies, leaving you four dead…or even worse – comatose!"

"That would be the other way around." Roselyn interrupted, but immediately shrank back under Fatima's withering glare.

"What exactly is Power Transfer?" Shan tentatively interrupted before Fatima could resume her rant. "Other than the fact that it's a dangerous technique, I know close to nothing about it."

"The main point of a Power Transfer is to share energies, or tap into a power you usually wouldn't have." explained Simon, who was slightly more familiar with the technique than Fatima. "For example, Roselyn is a Protector – she wouldn't be able to heal even if her life depended on it. However, by using the Power Transfer, she can tap into Fatima's power and heal. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Kind of…"

"When a person does a Power Transfer, they are basically sharing their powers with their partner. Understand this; you aren't giving your powers to your partners – you're merely allowing your partner to tap into your magical core and wield your magic. Now I'm getting off track, aren't I? Oh well, a little magical theory won't hurt."

"I guess…"

"However the Power Transfer is only successful if the two people performing it are compatible. Since energies are so unique, you will quickly discover that only one other person will be compatible to you. On rare occasions, there have been people who have found two people compatible to their energies…however, don't get your hopes up.

"Now what makes exchanging energy/power dangerous for incompatible people are the following: If your energies do not match, or even worse, are opposing, it will lead to death. The surge of power is so addicting that many have found themselves unable to pull back from the transfer. That's what happened to you…luckily for you four, Roselyn and Fatima were able to subdue your powers with theirs.

"However, even so, I have a distinct feeling that you four are going to feel some after affects of an incompatible transfer."

"Is that why I'm purple?" Trey immediately asked. "And are my eyes purple?"

"No and no." Roselyn answered. "The purple is from the food poisoning – it had nothing to do with the transfer. Though I must ask…just how much food did you eat? Fatima, who is the proud producer of the purple boils, should have been able to fix you with a simple antidote."

"I'm not itching or hurting anymore." Trey stated. "Just purple."

"Yes, but other people ate the food too and they're not purple anymore – you're the only one." Shan interrupted. Turning to Roselyn, he grinned, "Trey literally ate half the table, which I'm guessing is why he's still purple…he probably had a little too much food poisoning."

"Correct," Fatima agreed.

"Hope it doesn't damage his brain cells anymore than it's already damaged." snorted Aaron as he shot Trey a withering glare.

Trey frowned slightly and returned the glare with fervor.

"So," Harry interrupted, "what are the after affects?" he asked in an attempt to bring the conversation back to the main topic.

"Aaron's suffering the worst of it." whispered Roselyn. "I'm sure you've all noticed his sudden hostile attitude."

"Shut up! There's nothing wrong with me!" Aaron hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"As a warrior," Lyon sneered, speaking for the first time, "he was the most susceptible to power addictions. Warriors are defined by power and control."

"On the upside, Aaron's new attitude isn't permanent. We were able to stop you four in time to not have lasting scars."

"What about the rest of us?" Harry asked; his eyes flickering over Trey and Shan. "How is this going to affect us?"

"Nothing will happen to Trey (not counting his purple problem), who, as a Healer, is the least prone to power corruption. As for you and Shan, well, we don't know. We only hope it's nothing too bad." Simon answered.

"All right, I'm sure you've all heard enough from us old people, you three can leave." Fatima smiled, motioning to Harry, Trey, and Shan. "Aaron will have to stay until his attitude's been subdued. We don't want too many casualties so early in the month."

"I don't have a problem, bloody woman!" shouted Aaron, who seemed to be getting angrier and angrier by the moment.

"About the partners…" Harry trailed off, unsure if this was the right time to be inquisitive.

"It will be explained in detail in a few years when you are ready to have partners. But, to answer your unspoken question, yes, we should have your partner right here in this building. You'll learn in history class that Dragon Riders have always partnered with another Dragon Rider."

"Maybe one of you three might end up being my partner." Shan smiled.

"I wouldn't be surprised if two out of you four did turn out to be partners." Roselyn grinned. "Even though your raw, incompatible energies were hazardous, I did sense some unity."

"All right, that's enough." snapped Sheena. "If there isn't anything important to be discussed, everyone but Aaron is dismissed."

Before the three remaining friends could rush out of the room, Fatima spoke again, "That test today was given for a reason. It wasn't just a test of your survival skills, but also a reminder that you should always be on your guard. It's free time right now – I would spend my time in the student library (your house elves will be glad to direct you there) and try to find a poison identification spell. You never know when we'll be testing you again." she smiled with a small wink.

"Thanks," Harry answered, belying his true feelings.

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"Where are you going Snivellus?" demanded Sirius, cutting off the Potion Master's path out of Hogwarts.

"Move out of my way, Black!" Snape hissed angrily as he clutched his left forearm.

"Crawling to your Master?" Sirius sneered as he drew his wand. "You filthy scumbag, Dumbledore might believe you, but I don't. You knew what Voldemort wanted to do – after all, you are part of his 'Inner Circle' – but no, you didn't even try to help my godson! He's dead and I wouldn't be surprised if you were in on the whole scheme!"

Snape gritted his teeth in pain as he attempted to stop himself from retorting with a scathing reply. One look at his nemesis's face was enough to chuck his resolve out the window. "I wasn't the one who neglected the boy!" Snape hissed, unconsciously moving his hand protectively over his cloak pocket, where his precious vial of the Tutamen Potion was hidden.

"What do you have in that pocket?" Sirius demanded, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing that concerns you, Black…Now move out of my way!" Snape ordered again as he tried to sidestep Sirius's blockade. He was immediately pushed back and held at wand point. Snape glowered slightly as he tightened his grip on his burning forearm. "I mean it, Black, move out of my way."

In a second's notice, Snape found himself lying defenselessly on his back, his 13 inch wand secured tightly in Sirius's left hand. He instinctively reached toward his pocket to check if his potion was still there.

"Looking for this?" Sirius asked, dangling the vial of potion in front of Snape's nose. He quickly pulled away when Snape attempted the swipe the potion out of his hands. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate this until further investigation." Sirius grinned, tossing the vial carelessly into the air.

Snape's eyes widened and he felt his heart leap to his throat in fear as the potion soared into the air and pummeled back down…into Sirius's open hand.

"Give it back." Snape growled as he lifted himself off the ground while keeping his eyes trained intently on the vial.

"Tell me what it is…or I'll crush it." Sirius threatened, tightening his grip around the fragile vial.

"It's the Tutamen Potion." Snape answered without hesitation – he doubted the brainless fool knew the meaning of the potion anyway.

"What?" demanded Sirius, eyes widening slightly.

If Snape was shocked that Sirius knew of the potion, he hid it well. "You know what I said, imbecile, now give it back to me!"

"And let you give this to your Master?" Sirius asked, lifting an eyebrow. "Hell no!" he whispered before chucking the potion down the dirt-beaten road.

Snape felt a sinking feeling in his stomach as he watched his potion soar through the air… "Black, you moron!" hissed Snape, eyes blazing with open fury. "What were you thinking…or were you thinking at all?"

"I'm not going to just stand by and watch you aid my godson's murderer." Sirius replied as he poked the tip of his wand into Snape's chest. "If it wasn't because of Dumbledore, I'd be the first to kill you, Death Eater."

"That – is – enough!"

"Dumbledore…" Sirius began, but immediately clamped his mouth shut when the aged headmaster shot him a piercing look that was devoid of his usual cheeriness.

"Lower your wand, Sirius."

Sirius reluctantly did as he was bid, but not without giving Snape a sharp jab in the ribs first.

"Sir," Sirius began, "Sniv…Snape's giving Voldemort the Tutamen Potion!"

"I am well aware of that, Sirius." Dumbledore answered as he handed Snape the perfectly unharmed vial. "Severus, I believe you have a meeting to attend. Don't let us keep you any longer – you may go."

"Thank you, Headmaster." Snape murmured, carefully hiding his gratification behind a cold sneer. "You'll regret this, Black." he venomously whispered as he brushed past his nemesis.

"But Head…" Sirius protested.

"It's all for the greater good." Dumbledore cryptically replied. "I do believe Lily and James are in need of your support. I believe you should join them – they are taking Harry's death rather hard and have been neglecting Dylan."

"Of course," Sirius absentmindedly replied.

"I want you to promise me that you will tell no one of what you found out today." Dumbledore continued. "You aren't to tell anyone about the Tutamen Potion – including James, Remus, Lily, and Peter."

"I can't do that!" Sirius protested, aghast that the headmaster would even suggest such a thing. "I have to tell James! This concerns him too, you know!"

"Then I'm sorry, Sirius." Dumbledore regretfully whispered. "It's for the greater good." Before Sirius could comprehend what the headmaster was talking about, he found himself at the end of Dumbledore's wand, "Obliviate."

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Snape held back a small shiver as he kneeled before the Dark Lord, who was seated on his throne. Snape softly wetted his lips as he waited for his Lord to acknowledge him. When Voldemort continued to remain silent, even after several minutes, Snape slowly gathered his courage and looked up…right into Voldemort's inhuman ruby-red eyes.

Snape's body tensed when Voldemort's thin lips curled upwards into a sinister, sadistic smirk. He quickly bowed his head again, touching his forehead to the ground.

"What took you so long to answer my call, Severus?" Voldemort drawled, fixing his eyes on the Potion Master's rigid body.

"It was that annoying Black, milord. He got in my way." Snape honestly replied.

"Annoying indeed." agreed Voldemort, fixing his eyes on Snape.

Snape had the distinct feeling that Voldemort wasn't referring to just Black when he said his last statement, but decided he wasn't going to push his luck by asking for an explanation. Hopefully Voldemort wouldn't be too displeased once he gave him his desired potion.

"Do you have the potion?" Voldemort asked, making Snape wonder if Voldemort could actually mind read.

"Yes…" Snape began, but was immediately interrupted by a loud crash followed by a piercing wail. "_Muggles…_" was the first thought that entered his mind, "…_didn't Voldemort have ant sound-proof walls?_"

Seconds later, a 13 foot snake slithered into the room – Snape immediately recognized the large reptile as Voldemort's faithful pet, Nagini. Snape watched interestedly as the Dark Lord and Nagini conversed in a language that consisted solely of hisses. Even though he couldn't understand a single hiss that was being said, Snape ventured a good guessed that they were probably discussing about the latest disturbance in the dungeon halls.

A particularly loud, rage-filled hiss snapped Snape out of his musings. A flicker of fear crossed his features when Voldemort ruthlessly placed his favorite pet under the Cruciatus Curse. "_What possibly happened?_" Snape thought to himself as he watched Nagini writhe in pain. "_In all my years in his service, I have never once seen Voldemort turn his wand on her._" At that moment, only two things that were keeping Snape from bolting out of the room - his pride and his knowledge that he would be killed if he so much as twitched.

"Severus," Voldemort hissed.

"Yes, Milord?" replied Snape in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Give me to the potion now."

Crawling towards Voldemort and placing a small kiss at the hem of his robes, Snape reached into his pocket and gingerly present the Dark Lord with the Tutamen Potion. "Just add three drops of your blood into the potion, Milord." Snape directed while keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

"You will be rewarded." Voldemort replied as he uncorked the potion and added three drops of his blood, which was surprisingly…not black. "However, if the potion is not to my satisfaction…you'll regret the day you crossed Lord Voldemort's path." he hissed menacingly before sweeping out the room with Nagini (who's ego seemed slightly deflated) in tow.

Snape breathed a small sigh of relief and slid to the floor when he was sure the Dark Lord was a good distance away. If things kept up like this, Snape sardonically mused; Black might just get his Christmas present early.

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The week passed quickly with different classes and loads of homework occupying the student's every waking hour. Harry found himself falling into a strict routine as the days passed. He would wake at exactly 4 in the morning, shower, dress and then head down to the Front Hall. By 4:45, everyone (mumbling and grumbling) would be outside doing warms-ups while waiting for Simon and Lyon.

Then, from 5 to 7 AM, they would end up running laps around the castle (which was in no way small) – followed by push-ups, sit-ups, and any other exercises Lyon and Simon deemed necessary. They had a free hour from 7 to 8 AM to shower (again) and rest before breakfast in the Dining Hall at 8AM. During breakfast, which usually lasted an hour, either Fatima or Roselyn would announce the day's two classes. These classes lasted three hours each from 9AM to 12PM and 2PM to 5PM. There was an hour lunch break from 1 to 2 PM.

Any time after 5PM was basically free time – a time for socializing and such, but most were too preoccupied trying to finish their copious amount of homework to bother with anything else. Curfew, strangely enough, was nonexistent. As long as they were able to get up by 5AM in the morning, no one really cared when they went to bed at night.

"What did we have next again?" Trey asked as he scraped the last particle of food off his plate.

"We just had Ancient Runes, so we should have Transfiguration next." Shan answered without looking up from his book.

"I'm surprised you can still eat this much." Harry commented as he scribbled something onto his 13 foot parchment. "You're still slightly purple and you've already forgotten the lesson of diligence and precaution."

"You wolf down the food as if you've been starved." continued Shan, flipping to the next page. "Mark my words; you'll die from food poisoning one day."

"I asked a simple question and you guys give me a lecture!" Trey cried in mock annoyance. "Honestly, you two act like my parents…if I had any…Anyway," he quickly continued, changing the subject, "has anyone heard from Aaron yet?"

"No." Shan answered, finally looking up from his book. "We aren't allowed to see him, but Master Roselyn told me he was improving. He should be released in another week or two."

"Do any of you find it awkward calling them Masters?" Trey asked absently as he helped himself to a large serving of vanilla ice cream.

"Slightly, but you get use to the title after a while." Shan answered, grabbing Trey's hand before he could shove the ice-cream down his throat.

"It doesn't really matter." Harry agreed as he waved his hand over the ice-cream. "It's just a title – like professor or teacher." Seeing the longing look Trey was shooting the dessert, Harry continued, "Shan, you can let him go, the ice-cream's safe."

"You two are paranoid!" Trey muttered as he shoveled the food down his throat.

"Better paranoid than sorry." answered Harry, rolling up his homework. "Come on; let's head to our next class. It starts in approximately 251 seconds."

"I'm not even going to ask how you calculated that." Trey muttered as he shoved some chocolate chip cookies into his pockets. At the disgusted looks he was getting, he defensively replied, "What? I might get hungry during class!"

Before the trio could stand up, a golden phoenix burst into the room, catching everyone's attention. The phoenix circled the room three times before perching itself on Harry's right shoulder.

"Is it dangerous?" Trey whispered as Harry gently took the three pendants that was clasped tightly in the phoenix's beak. In a burst of flames, the phoenix disappeared, leaving the students in both awe and fear.

"What are those?" Shan asked, eyeing the pendants with a critical eye.

Unfolding the piece of note that was attached to the pendants, Harry quickly read the contents. When a small grin broke across his face, Shan and Trey eagerly demanded that Harry spill the good news.

The Dining Hall was eerily silent as everyone waited for Harry to speak. After what seemed like an eternity (in Trey's opinion), Harry finally whispered, "We've been rewarded with free access to the Battle Gym and the Restricted Library."

"You're kidding," Shan murmured as he numbly accepted one of the pendant's from Harry.

"That's it?" Trey groaned. "Great, more work…just what I needed."

"And we have permission to access the kitchen anytime we want." Harry grinned.

"Now we're talking my language!" Trey cheered, jumping into the air with a loud whoop.

"Poor elves will be worked to death complying with Trey's every whim." Shan sighed as he clasped the pendant around his neck.

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TBC

Read and Review

_Thanks for all the reviews! I never expected to get this many for the last chapter! Also, I'm sorry for the belated update…a lot of homework. Anyway, on the next chapter, I'm going to fast forward about two years..._


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Island Invasion**

9/18/05 – 10/7/05

"56!"

"A gazillion!"

"Why don't you try using your brain for once and use a _possible_ number?" Katherine sighed as she rolled her eyes. "Numbers like 32, 53, or something like that?" she demanded hotly as she scowled at the labyrinth wall in front of them. "Stacy, come help us!" Katherine growled in frustration as she shot her friend, who was preoccupied with examining her nails, an annoyed glare. "We've been trapped here for the last five hours and had at least tried at least a gazillion numbers and _none _of them work!"

"Ha, you said that word too!" Trey shouted triumphantly as he scratched his freckled nose.

"Can you give it a break, Trey?" Aaron sighed exasperatedly, turning his attention away from Harry and Shan, who were urgently whispering to one another in hushed tones. "Would it kill you to just stand aside and let us work peaceably?"

"Okay, what's for lunch?"

"We just had lunch half an hour ago." Harry replied; cutting off Aaron's scathing remark.

"Here's a lollipop – make it last." Shan smirked, tossing a chocolate-flavored lollipop to Trey, who clumsily caught the flying candy in mid-air. "Katherine, can you read us the questionnaire on the wall again?"

"How many dragons (not including the common ones) were in existence before their ultimate annihilation during the Great Dragon-Demon War, which spanned a total of 673 years?" Katherine tiredly complied. She paused for a moment before asking, "Are you sure there's no way to get past this labyrinth wall without the answer?"

"I'm hungry," Trey whimpered as he unwrapped his chocolate lollipop. "I can't even remember how long we've been trapped in this stupid labyrinth. It has been so long that the years, months, days, and hours seem to mesh together!"

"Quit being so dramatic," Aaron snorted, "At most, we've only been in here for six days."

"Why does the Masters test our knowledge is such weird…what was that word again?" Trey groaned as he banged his head repeatedly on the labyrinth walls.

"Ways?" Shan supplied without taking his eyes off his textbook. "Don't hit yourself too hard, you might get a concussion. No one's going to carry you out of this labyrinth if you faint."

"Right, whatever." muttered Trey. "Anyway, what does locking us in a labyrinth filled with questionnaires do?"

"It tests our knowledge." Harry answered with a tried sigh. "All the questions on the labyrinth walls are materials we had covered in class."

"They actually expect us to _remember_ what we studied?" Trey shouted, slightly flabbergasted.

"I think that's the point." Harry snorted, smiling slightly at the astonished look etched on Trey's horrified face. "Aaron, can you check on Trey, I think he's going into mental shock."

"I think its pure genius that the Masters made the answers to these questionnaires the password needed to open the labyrinth doors." Emily whispered softly, before shyly looking away.

"He lives," Aaron grinned when Trey jumped three feet into the air after being poked into the ribs.

"Come on, back to work. This is the last door – if we can unlock it, then we've passed our test." Harry interrupted. "Anyone have any guesses to the answer?"

"100.75?" Stacy suggested with a cute, childish smile.

"How can you get ¾ of a dragon?" Katherine demanded hotly.

"I don't know." whispered Stacy, shrinking slightly under Katherine's glare. "Maybe it's a headless dragon?"

"5?" Amy suggested, smiling lightly as she curled her long, pale fingers into her thin, wispy hair, which was dyed gold, red, black, and brown.

"The number's too small." Harry murmured as he pulled "The History of Dragon Island" out of Shan's bulging knapsack that was filled with various scrolls and textbooks. "I'm positive the number is at least over 3,000."

"Why don't we just start counting?" Aaron suggested. "We'll eventually hit the right number. Who wants to count?"

Trey's hand immediately shot into the air.

"Seeing as we're not getting anywhere, we might as well try what Aaron suggested." Shan agreed, raking his hand through his spiked hair. "Trey, you can start counting from 3,000."

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James slowly closed his eyes and gently wrapped his arms loosely around his wife's petit waist. Burying his nose into Lily's long, red hair, he whispered a muffled, "I love you."

"I know you do." Lily replied softly, stepping out of James' reach. "As much as I like spending time with you, I really have to start making dinner. Don't forget, Sirius, Remus, and Peter are coming over for dinner today."

"Oh yeah," James grinned. "I forgot. Anyway, Dylan and I will be playing Quidditch outside. Tell me when they arrive."

"James Potter, hold it right there!" Lily hissed, stopping James from bolting out of the room by grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "Dylan's doing his homework right now, don't you dare tempt him with that…that abhorrent game!"

"Woah, all right, all right, don't blow your fuse, dear." James smirked and slipped out of the room after Lily released her grip on his shirt. "I won't make Dylan play Quidditch."

Lily smiled softly as she followed James out of their bedroom.

"I'll just teach him how to set dungbombs." James muttered under his breath.

"JAMES PHILIP POTTER!" Lily roared, overhearing James mutterings.

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"1953, 1954, 1955, 1956, 1957…" Trey counted tiredly. "Can someone else count now? My throat hurts and my stomach's growling."

"I don't think this is working." Katherine hysterically interrupted. "We could really be stranded here for the rest of our lives! There's not enough food and water to last us forever – the Masters only packed us enough food for seven days (of course, they took into account Trey's bottomless stomach)."

"4,902?" Amy guessed.

"I guess we can just start guessing numbers again." Harry sighed. "I can't believe I don't know this answer. I'm positive I studied it before."

"Same here," Shan agreed. "It's at the tip of my mind…"

"7834?" Crystal grumbled as she flicked her long, wavy, black hair over her left shoulder. "This isn't working." she muttered when the wall remained unmoving. "Emily, you're smart, can't you remember anything?"

"Sorry Crystal," murmured Emily, "I really don't know."

"9245." Lance tried.

"Strawberry-banana shortcake and vanilla flavored triple scoop ice-cream sprinkled with red heart sprinkles!" Trey shouted as his mouth watered slightly at the thought.

"Excuse me," Katherine, who was at the end of her patience, snapped. "But I have to remind you that food is not a number!"

"So, it was a worthy try." Trey shrugged.

"Idiots! I'm surrounded by idiots!" Katherine hissed as her eyes blazed furiously.

Harry and Shan narrowed their eyes slightly, but decided not to comment.

"Trey, come over here and quit bothering the girls." Aaron sighed as he kneaded his temple.

"Fine, fine, don't ask for my help." Trey muttered loudly with a small pout. "I bet the answer to the stupid question is some obscene number like…5,093,628,173." Trey huffed as he seated himself next to Aaron.

Katherine's mouth dropped open when the labyrinth wall slowly shifted aside to reveal the exit.

"Trey," Aaron whispered as he draped his arm across the red-head's shoulder, "you're a genius."

"Right," Trey agreed, "what did I say?"

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"I'll go get Dylan. You four start eating without us." Lily smiled after setting various dishes of food onto the table. "No food fights." she deadpanned when she noticed the maniacal glint in Sirius' twinkling eyes.

Sirius shot Lily a hurt look that Lily promptly ignored with a hard glare. "All right, all right!" grumbled Sirius, holding up in hands in peace. "Take away all the fun in my life, why don't you, old grouch!"

Lily snorted softly and waltzed out of the room after shooting James a look that promised pain if anything happened to her beloved kitchen. When Lily was out of earshot, Sirius immediately grabbed a fistful of green beans and threw it at James, who quickly ducked under the table.

"Stop it," Remus hissed, pulling out his wand. "Padfoot, sit down before I decide to hex you."

"You're no fun, Moony!" Sirius pouted as James slowly reemerged from below the table.

James quickly cleared the mess that Sirius caused with a flick of his wand just before Lily reentered the kitchen with Dylan in tow. Lily paused for a brief moment at the doorway and carefully looked around the kitchen to evaluate the damage caused by the infamous Marauders. When she finally gave them a satisfied nod, James slowly released a pent of breath he hadn't realized he had been holding.

"Hey Prongs," Remus coughed, trying to break the uncomfortable silence, "when's Dylan going to start Hogwarts?"

"You don't know?" Sirius asked with feigned shock. "He's your godson and you _don't_ know? How can you _not _know? Are you _sure_ you don't know? I mean, how…"

"Padfoot, shut up." Remus sighed, shaking his head slightly.

"Dylan's going to Hogwarts when the next term begins." Lily smiled proudly with a small hint of sadness. "If Harry…" she whispered, "he would be…sorry."

"Mum, are you okay?" Dylan asked softly.

"I'm fine, sweetie." Lily assured.

"Hey, guess who's going to teach at Hogwarts?" Sirius grinned, breaking the silence. Remus immediately paled and tried to look inconspicuous when James quirked an eyebrow in interest.

"They changed teachers?" Lily inquired, slightly interested.

"Well, Minnie's still teaching Transfiguration and Flitwick is still teaching Charms." Sirius replied. "Of course, we can't forget that Snivellus is teaching Potions – I don't see why anyone would want to hire that slime ball, he'd probably poison all the kids on the first day of school."

"Sirius," Lily admonished in a warning tone.

"It's true!" Sirius protested. "Anyway," he quickly continued, "Hagrid's taking over the Care of Magical Creatures class."

"Oh," Lily whispered, "not that I mind Hagrid teaching or anything - he's nice and all, but…is he safe?" she nervously asked, casting a worried glance towards Dylan, who was obliviously smashing the peas into the mashed potato.

"Albus trusts him." Sirius grinned. "Come on, Hagrid's harmless!"

"Yes…but…"

"Who else is teaching?" Remus quickly asked, trying to avoid a confrontation between Lily and Sirius.

"Well, of course there's you, who's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts and Trelawney, who's taking over Divination." Sirius answered nonchalantly before scooping a spoonful of clam chowder soup into his mouth.

"That's nice," James absent-mindedly answered.

Lily stopped eating and quirked an eyebrow. When James continued to eat quietly, Lily shrugged off James's lack of response as a once in a lifetime miracle. Turning to face Remus, she happily congratulated him for getting the DADA position.

"He's taking it pretty well." Sirius muttered.

Everyone ate dinner in relative silence for the next three minutes before James's head suddenly shot up with a bewildered look etched on his face. "What did you say?" he demanded, looking at Remus as if he had suddenly morphed into Snape. "Tell me I did not just hear you say that you were teaching!"

"Actually, Moony didn't say anything. I said it…about five minutes ago." Sirius grinned before rapping his knuckles on James's forehead. "Anybody home in that empty skull of yours?"

James swatted Sirius's hand from his forehead and glared at Remus. "We promised that we would never teach!" whined James, pouting slightly.

"Oh grow up," Lily cried, "Teaching is an honorable position. I'm considering it myself."

"NO!" shouted James, quickly jumping up.

"Why not?" asked Lily, giving James a frigid glare.

"Who's going to cook and clean?" he grinned.

Lily rolled her eyes and snorted, "We have house elves for a reason, James." she slowly answered. "I cook because I feel like it, not because I need to."

"But…I thought you liked being a nurse!"

"I do – I never said I was going to quit my job. I just said I might consider teaching as a job if Professor Flitwick retires."

"Oh," James muttered glumly.

"Who's Trelawney?" Peter asked suddenly asked, speaking up for the first time since dinner began.

"Huh?" asked Sirius with a bewildered look. "Hey, Pete, when did you get here?"

"I came here with you guys!" cried Peter, slightly hurt that his best friends had forgotten him.

"Sorry Peter," Remus apologized. "You were just so quiet that we forgot you were even here."

"It's okay," Peter sadly assured. "So, who's Trelawney?"

"TRELAWNEY?" shouted James, leaping out of his seat. "That old scumbag isn't teaching at Hogwarts, is she?"

"Have you been listening to me at all, Prongs?" Sirius demanded, placing his hand over his heart as if he had been shot. "I can't believe my best friend wasn't paying attention to _me_!"

"Get over yourself, Sirius." Lily snapped, though there was a lingering smile on her lips.

"So what's this about Trelawney?" James demanded, sitting back in his chair again.

"She's going to teach Divination next year." Remus calmly answered while helping himself to some roast beef. "Professor Dumbledore thought that Divination was a good course to have in the curriculum."

"But…but…TRELAWNEY?" huffed James. "Is Dumbledore insane?"

"Yeah, remember that time when she subbed for Grubby-Plank in Care of Magical Creatures?" Sirius grinned, forking a large piece of sausage. "She was a total lunatic and she almost got herself swallowed alive by the flobberworm."

"That isn't humanly possible, Sirius." Remus deadpanned.

"With her, it is." James snorted. "Anyway, remember what she started ranting about during class?"

"Would I ever forget?" Sirius grinned, "She predicted that Smith was going to be run over by an old lady! Then she said that the apocalypse was going to take place soon because some star was aligned with another star. Guess she wasn't too accurate because it has been four years and we're still here. Not to mention the fact that Smith has yet to be run over by an old lady."

"Yeah, she was ridiculous!" Peter piped in.

"You weren't even in the class." James stonily replied.

"Oh…oh yeah." squeaked Peter, retuning to his dinner.

"Anyway, remember the predictions she made about us?" Sirius laughed. "She was insane!"

"No kidding." James agreed before recounting the incident. "It all started when Sirius began shouting, 'the grim…the grim'."

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

_Trelawney grabbed Alice's shoulders with both hands and whispered in a low voice, "I see the grim in your eyes, dear child." With a small sniff, she closed her eyes and turned her head away. "So young…so very young…Poor child, the grim has marked you. There is no escape – accept your fate." _

_ Some students stood petrified, clinging fearfully to every word Trelawney was muttering. They moaned, groaned, and shrieked in fear as Trelawney continued to shout 'the grim, the grim – it comes near'. However, a majority of the students, mainly Sirius and James, rolled their eyes and dismissed the old goon as a lunatic who had hit her head one to many times when she was a child. _

_ While Trelawney was busy reading another student's future, Sirius lightly tapped James's shoulder to get his friend's attention before mimicking in a low, mysterious voice, "It's the grim, the grim, child!" To prove his point, Sirius quickly grabbed a hold of both of James's shoulders and violently shook him back and forth while shouting, "It comes! The grim! Poor child, your life is over – It's the apocalypse!" _

_ Catching onto his friend's game, James quickly dropped to his knees and covered his face. "NO! The grim, the grim – it comes! I am doomed! We're all doomed! It the GRIM! Run for your lives!" _

_ The class erupted into laughter as Trelawney glowered at both James and Sirius, who were laughing hysterically on the ground. Turning up her nose, Trelawney stated in a clipped, disdainful voice, "I see you two do not have the sight – not many do. It's a gift bestowed to few. We can't all be gifted." _

_ "Yeah, right, you lunatic." snorted Sirius under his breath. Raising his voice, Sirius grinned, "Since you possess 'the sight' tell me my future. If it comes true, I'll kiss Snape in front of a large crowd and proclaim my 'love' for him." _

_ James grinned and added, "I'll even marry Snape if you can predict my future!" _

_ Severus Snape, who was standing a little ways away from Sirius and James, scrunched his nose in disgust and whispered something to his fellow Slytherins. The Slytherins snickered lightly as Snape straightened his back and crossed his arms across his chest. _

_ "But," Sirius continued, prodding James lightly in the ribs, "if your predictions don't come true, then you'll have to proclaim yourself a lunatic and a fraud in front of the whole school!" _

_ A pregnant pause followed as Trelawney stared unseeingly into space. When Sirius was about to proclaim her as a fraud by default, Trelawney finally snapped out of her musings and poked him in the chest. Sirius retaliated by stepping backwards and massaging his abused body. _

_ "A time will come when you will lose your most precious love to your worst enemy. Your love will betray you and cling to your enemy! She will betray the light and become one in body with darkness! Your love will despise your very existence and proclaim herself a lover of darkness! She will be the grim! The grim is near! The grim comes! The apocalypse is here!" Trelawney shouted while poking Sirius in the chest again for good measure. _

_ "Lunatic, that one." muttered Sirius as Trelawney began to rant and rave again. "My most precious love?" scoffed Sirius. "Hah, I love myself!" he proclaimed proudly. "I love me and I will always love me!" _

_ "I knew you were vain," James began slowly. "But that's just plain creepy." _

_ "And you!" shouted Trelawney, stepping towards James so they were on a hair's breath apart. James immediately stumbled backwards with a disgusted look etched on his face. _

_ "I think she's hitting on you, mate!" Sirius laughed, clutching his stomach. "You two almost kissed!" _

_ "Shut up!" hissed James, flushing slightly from anger and embarrassment. _

_ "Your child will befriend darkness!" Trelawney ranted. "He will consider darkness his brother – his best friend. He will come to love the grim and the darkness! He will have one foot in light and the other in darkness! Torn between love and duty – friendship and promises – what will he choose? The grim and darkness approaches! The apocalypse is near! The grim! The grim!" _

_ James gave Trelawney a blank look before bursting out into laughter. "That's crap!" he laughed. "You're lunatic that should be locked in St. Mungo's! Come on Sirius, let's go raid the kitchen. I'm sure everyone knows what a fraud the old goon is already." With sparing Trelawney another glance, James happily trudged back to the castle with Sirius laughing and chattering beside him. _

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

Sirius fell out of his seat and laughed hysterically as James finished his story. Remus rolled his eyes as Peter gave everyone a weak smile and attempted to laugh along with Sirius and James. After the laughter died down (which took about two minutes for Sirius), James turned to Lily to gauge her reaction to the story.

He frowned when he noticed the far-away look in Lily's eyes. Gently grasping her ice-cold hand, James softly asked, "Are you all right, dear?"

"Yeah," Lily weakly replied. "Well, we know how wrong she was in prediction, right?" she smiled sadly, trying unsuccessfully to inconspicuously wipe the tears from her moist, emerald-green eyes. "Sirius still only loves himself and well, Harry's…Harry's..." Lily sobbed softly as she looked up to keep the tears from falling.

"Lily," James whispered softly, pulling his wife into a loving embrace. "Everything is going to be all right. You still have Dylan and me. Trelawney is just a crazy fraud, don't believe anything she says."

"Yeah, she's a fraud and her prophecies are lies…then what about the prophecy about Harry and Dylan?" Lily demanded, pulling herself out of James's arm. "We believed that stupid prophecy about Harry and Dylan! The prophecy probably isn't each true! We lost our son because of that stupid prophecy! I lost Harry! I should never have believed Dumbledore or the prophecy…"

"We all made a mistake, Lily. We are all at fault." Remus whispered as Dylan stopped eating. Dylan pushed his seat back and slowly walked over to Lily and wrapped his arm around his mother.

Looking down at her son, Lily gently threaded her fingers into Dylan's silky, red hair and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. "I love you Dylan…I love both you and Harry. I just wished I could have told him that." she sobbed as James slipped his arms around Lily's waist, pulled his family into his embrace.

Remus, Sirius, and Peter stopped eating and kindly evacuated the kitchen to give the family some privacy. Sirius shook his head disapprovingly at Peter when Peter tried to eavesdrop on the family conversation. Remus quickly closed the kitchen door with a soft click and proceeded to usher his friends into the living room.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"Hey, where is everyone?" Trey asked indignantly as they looked around the empty room. "Where's the reception party! Aren't the Masters going to congratulate us for getting out of the labyrinth alive and in one piece?"

Aaron rolled his eyes and kicked the door leading to the underground labyrinth shut after everyone was safely assembled in the empty room. As soon as the door closed, the doorway disappeared, leaving the room completely barren except for the door on the opposite side of the wall that led to the main castle.

"Let's go. I need a shower!" Amy moaned.

"We all do." Crystal snorted. "Especially pretty boy here." she smirked, ruffling Jason's short, curly, blond hair.

Jason retaliated by snarling loudly and slapping Crystal's hand away. Emily giggled softly, but immediately quieted when Jason shot her a murderous glare. Crossing his arms across his chest, Jason arrogantly held his head up high and tried to glare down at Emily, which failed, because Emily proved to be a good three inches taller than him.

"We'll go find the Masters first." Harry stated as Lance opened the door leading to the main castle corridor.

Once everyone was successfully assembled in the wide corridors, Aaron gave the signal for the others to follow him. Harry shook his head good-naturedly as Shan rolled his eyes heavenwards.

Arriving at the Front Hall, Aaron was about to pull open the grand doors when Harry gripped his arm and slowly shook his head. Before Aaron could ask any questions, Harry signaled for silence by placing a finger to his lips. Confusion swept through the students when Harry motioned for everyone to back away from the grand doors.

Everyone looked around wildly, expecting to be attacked as Harry motioned for Shan, Katherine, and Stacy to step forward. Seeing that Stacy was about to start firing questions, Harry quickly shook his head and wrote in the air, "Danger."

Understanding, followed by more confusion, swept through the students as Harry signaled for his fellow Protectors to place shield charms on everyone. Once everyone was shielded to the best of Protector's abilities, Harry wrote in the air, "Listen - Outside."

Everyone strained their ears and after a few seconds, like Harry said, they could hear several voices arguing with one another beyond the grand doors.

Shan, slightly confused, asked in sign language, "Why are we so quiet? It could just be the Masters."

Replying in sign language, Harry answered, "The auras are unfamiliar. Plus, they're trying to take off the castle wards. We're going to have to hold them off – the Masters are too far away to come to our aid – I can't sense the Masters from here."

"All right then, it's up to us." Crystal signed.

"Warriors in the front!" signed Aaron and Lance in unison. Crystal, Jason, Amy (though reluctantly), emerged from the crowd and placed themselves in the very front of the line.

"Healers hide and be prepared to heal the wounded." signed Shan, motioning to Trey and Emily. The duo nodded their head and slipped into the shadows.

"Protectors in front of the warriors." signed Harry, causing Aaron and Lance to shoot him curious glances. "Raise the shields." he motioned before signing to the warriors. "Hide yourselves and be prepared to hex everyone that comes in when we open the doors."

A small smile crept onto Lance's face as he nodded his head in consent. The warriors quickly scattered and hid themselves from view as Harry placed himself in the very front of the line with Shan, Katherine, and Stacy flanking his sides.

Putting his hand into the air, Harry signaled a count down – when he reached one; he ruthlessly blasted the door open. He paused for a brief moment to see if the intruders were truly invaders or just another test from the Masters.

When one of them shouted the Killing Curse, Harry quickly shouted, "Duck," followed by, "Retreat!" The Protectors quickly melted back into the Front Hall, tricking the invaders into following them inside. Once all ten of the intruders, who were wearing black cloaks and white masks, were lured into the Hall, Aaron and Lance quickly slammed the front doors shut.

The intruders barely had time to realize they had been tricked before hexes were being shot from all sides. "Permission to use the Killing Curse!" shouted Harry over the chaos.

"Killing Curse?" sneered one of the cloaked men. "Little kids like you will never be able…"

"Avada Kedavra!" Aaron shouted, watching with satisfaction as the green jet of light hit its mark.

"1 down, 9 to go!" shouted Lance, grinning maniacally.

The ten cloaked intruders tensed in surprised before ruthlessly firing a stream of unforgivable curses at the students, who easily dodged the curses and returned the curses with equal vigor.

"Crucio!" shouted Crystal, holding one of the cloaked men under the curse with her right hand while throwing hexes at the other intruders with her free hand.

"Imperio!" a short, chubby man shouted, pointing his wand at Crystal, who was oblivious to the danger.

"Contego," Harry shouted, deflecting the curse from its course. "Avada Kedavra!" he hissed, sending the Killing Curse towards the whimpering man. "2 down!" he announced before adding, "Crystal, finish off your opponent and pay more attention to your surroundings!"

"Yes sir!" Crystal shouted in reply. "Avada Kedavra!" A soft thump followed before she shouted, "3 down!"

By the end of the hour, many students were huffing tiredly (some of which were wounded) and the two remaining invaders were almost near hysterics in an attempt to find an exit.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Harry asked coldly, stepping protectively in front of his classmates. Shan, Trey, and Aaron immediately moved to stand beside him to give him moral support.

"W-We are D-Death Eaters, the most loyal s-servants to the D-Dark Lord!" one of them stuttered in reply. "H-He'll annihilate all of you!"

"Avada Kedavra." Harry and Aaron shouted simultaneously, watching indifferently as the two Death Eaters dropped to the ground.

Silence ensued as Harry checked everyone's injuries to see if they were life-threatening. Once he was satisfied that everyone was not in any life-death situations, he quickly motioned for Emily and Trey to tend to the more severely wounded.

While Trey and Emily (who was shaking uncontrollably) were quietly bandaging the wounded, several students were loudly sobbing from both fear and relief.

"I-I killed someone." Amy sobbed, near hysterics as she stared at the lifeless bodies.

"They're dead…" Emily whispered as the full magnitude of the situation finally dawned on her. "There a-are d-dead people!" she whispered just before she fainted into oblivion.

"We don't have time," Harry interrupted, shocking his peers, "if I'm correct in my assumptions, there should be a battle taking place in the training fields. I think the Masters might be there. Plus, no matter what they might say, I know the Masters are going to need our help. Emily, Amy, Stacy, and anyone else who can't take the sight of death can stay here."

"We're going," Aaron stated, speaking for Trey and Shan as well as for himself. "Friends forever – through thick and thin."

Harry nodded his head with an air of indifference; however, the sparkle in his eyes spoke volumes of his gratitude for his best friends' decision. Turning his attention to the others, he watched slightly surprised when Lance (who had a wounded leg), Crystal, and Katherine nodded their heads.

"You can't leave me out of the fun," Lance grinned, "plus, I have to uphold the Warrior Pride!"

"Agreed," Crystal echoed.

"All right, enough." interrupted Katherine. "This isn't time for an emotional breakdown – we have to save our Masters!"

"We will go, but Lance will stay." Harry stated, dubiously eyeing his peer's bleeding leg. "He'll only slow us down and get in the way." Harry truthfully replied, leaving no room for argument before taking the initiative by flinging the grand doors open.

"Don't go!" Amy shouted. "You might die! It's dangerous!"

"I'd rather die valiantly rather than live a life of a coward." Lance replied disdainfully. Turning to face Harry, he added, "I'm going whether you like it or not. You're not my leader…at least, not yet."

Seeing the determined glint in Lance's eyes, Harry finally consented to allow him to tag along.

Realizing that everyone was looking at him expectantly for the 'go' signal, Harry quickly focused his attention back to the important thing at hand. With a small nod towards his comrades, Harry gave the signal to 'go' by flicking his wrist forward. Without bothering to see if his peers understood or even saw his silent command, Harry quickly raced down the mile-long, dirt-beaten path that led to the training fields – hoping against hope that he wasn't too late.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

_I'm so sorry it took so long – this chapter went through a lot of revision. _


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

_**Author's Note: **All right, before I start, I want to emphasize that this story is **NOT SLASH**, no matter what it might sound like in this chapter. _

**Mysteries of the Ancient Bond**

11/11/05 – 11/28/05

Lily glared disapprovingly at her husband, but the look was lost on James, who was too embroiled in educating their son on the best and most effective method of pulling pranks to notice the brewing storm. Luckily, he was saved from Lily's oncoming wrath by the doorbell, which had rung moments before Lily could successfully hex James into oblivion.

The guest, much to Lily's chagrin, began screaming bloody murder at the top of his lungs the moment she unlocked the door. She didn't even have to open the front door to guess who it was…

"JAMES POTTER, WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Sirius," Lily deadpanned with a look of utter boredom and hidden contempt etched her face. "What are you doing here?" she demanded with a low hiss as she shot her husband's best friend a condescending look.

"Sorry Lily-love, no time for chit-chat." murmured Sirius, pushing Lily aside to allow himself entrance. "JAMIE BOY, WE HAVE TO GO!" he yelled as he stormed into the kitchen in search of his best mate.

Lily pursed her lips into a thin line as both James and Dylan tumbled down the stairs in frenzy with bewildered looks etched on their faces. If the situation hadn't been so serious, both Sirius and Lily would have burst out laughing at the comically identical looks of worry engraved on both James and Dylan's faces.

"James, we got to go – We've found Voldemort's hideout."

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"HARRY MOVE, YOU MORON!" Aaron yelled as he shoved his friend out of the curse's path.

"What are you thinking?" Harry screamed in response when his companion, in his stead, was blasted several yards across the battlefield. When Aaron didn't rise after receiving the hit, Harry's lips slowly curled upwards into a dangerous snarl that made him appear more demonic than human. Aiming an angry glare at their attacker, Harry venomously shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Stopping only for a brief moment to bask in the sadistic aftermath of killing the Death Eater, Harry quickly recomposed himself (suppressing his bloodlust) and hurried to his friend's side. After checking Aaron's pulse to make sure he was still alive (which he was), Harry quickly cast a powerful barrier around Aaron's defenseless body to shield it from further harm.

"Trey, over here!" hollered Harry when he spotted his red-haired friend amongst a thong of Death Eaters a few yards away.

"Harry, what's wrong?" wheezed Trey once he had safely reached his friend's side. "Is anyone hurt?" he asked frantically as Harry shot off a Killing Curse towards the Death Eater that had been aiming his wand at Trey's back.

"Aaron needs attention," Harry answered breathlessly, inclining his head slightly towards their unconscious friend. "Take him and get out of here! I'll hold the Death Eaters off to gain you some time!" he ordered as he turned to face the oncoming horde of Death Eaters head on.

"What about you?" Trey asked worriedly, looking torn between the safeties of his two good friends. However, another shout of 'go' from Harry was enough to send Trey racing towards the safety of the castle with Aaron's floating body in tow.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Crucio!" retaliated Harry after dodging the jet of green light.

"Imperio!"

"Contego!" shouted Harry, raising a shield just in time to block the Imperious Curse. "Avada Kedavra!"

"Reducto!"

"Crucio!"

"Avada Kedavra!"

Harry's eyes widened slightly at the sudden barrage of curses aimed his way. If he dodged one, he'd be hit with the other two…Deciding that he'd rather take his chances at survival, Harry quickly rolled out of the way of the Killing Curse.

"Avada Kedavra!" shouted a fourth Death Eater, grinning maniacally as he sent a second jet of green light towards Harry, who had just been rendered immobile by the Cruciatus and Reducto Curse.

"HARRY!"

Eyes widening in horror, Harry could do nothing but writhe and scream in pain (from the unrelenting Cruciatus Curse) as he watched his best friend, Shan, intercept the Killing Curse on his behalf.

"Avada Kedavra!" yelled Lance, quickly and painlessly ending the life of the Death Eater that held Harry under the Cruciatus Curse. Limping towards his comrades, Lance immediately dropped to his good knee beside Shan and checked for a pulse that signified that his companion was still alive. When he came up with nothing, he dazedly dropped Shan's limp arm and fell backwards in disbelief.

Yes, he killed. Yes, he saw death. But this was different – this wasn't the enemy! This wasn't a Death Eater! This was his comrade, his friend – the person he had lived with for the past 2 years! Seeing Shan with cold, pale skin and dull, lifeless eyes when he should be laughing, joking, and fighting alongside them was something he had never anticipated. This wasn't supposed to have happened. None of it was!

Gently closing Shan's lifeless eyes, Lance realized for the first time since this battle began that he wasn't ready. None of them were. They had all been forced to grow up too fast – too early! Where was their childhood? Where was there innocence? Had they ever been children? Shaking his head slightly in the negative, Lance knew without asking that the answer to his question was 'no'. Training since childhood and killing at the age of 11 (or 10) – the world had never given any of them a chance to act as a child should. Their destiny had fated them to become adults before they had even left their mother's womb.

It was true that he loved his friends and his masters…and equally true that he was proud to a part of the dwindling, but powerful race of Dragon Riders. Yet, in the end, looking at Shan, he couldn't help but wonder, 'Was it worth it?' Maybe it was worth it, maybe it was noble – but given the choice, Lance would have gladly chosen to lead a peaceful, normal life.

Ignoring the fact that he would be drawing unwanted attention towards himself, Lance raised his head and released a blood-curling scream that sent shivers running down the spines of many. Lowering his head again, he indulged himself for once – since his infancy – in the comfort of his tears.

Harry, still immobilized by the aftereffects of being held under the Cruciatus Curse for an overextended amount of time, silently cried along with Lance – knowing in his heart that his best friend would never again lecture them on punctuality and the virtue of studying. He was gone…His best friend was _gone_!

"_Why?_" Harry silently demanded as he slammed his tear-stained eyes shut in defeat. "_WHY?_"

Moments passed in relative silence (if you ignore the battle) before Harry was forced to reopen his eyes by the presence of an unwanted company. Catching sight of the Death Eater's black robes, Harry slowly, but defiantly brought his head up…only to find himself staring into an unmasked face – the cold, twisted face of Voldemort, whose ruby-red eyes held nothing but sadistic malice.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

Sirius swiftly tilted his head towards the stairs after successfully infiltrating the Riddle Mansion – Who would have thought Voldemort would have left his base completely unguarded? "_James is right…there has to be a trap around here…I'm going to kill Snivellus if he's feeding us lies. Can't believe Dumbledore even trusts that slimy git! _" Sirius silently rambled to himself, a large frown etching itself onto his face the longer he pondered on the subject of his most hated enemy – the Potions Master of Hogwarts, Severus 'Snivellus' Snape.

**Creak…**

Frozen in surprise and apprehension when he accidentally stepped on a loose floorboard, Sirius quickly tightened his grip around his wand as he scanned the premises for Death Eaters. When nothing happened in the next five minutes, Sirius and his comrades gradually relaxed and continued their way up.

"_So far so good…I hope James is all right._" Sirius thought to himself as he continued down the empty hall with his regime of aurors trailing faithfully behind him. With every step he took, Sirius's worry for his best friend grew…everything was just going too smoothly to be safe. "_I should have stuck with James! I shouldn't have agreed to his lame-brain idea by allowing him and his troops to separate from the rest of us…I'll never forgive myself if James dies!_"

Everyone snapped to attention when they heard several footfalls heading towards them at top speed. Sirius tensed as he silently motioned for his troops to raise their wands and prepare to fire...

10, 9, 8…

Sirius re-griped his wand and tightened his jaw, preparing himself for a full-blown fight.

7, 6, 5…

He felt beads of sweat form on his brow as he metanlly went through the list of curses he knew.

4, 3…

"_I should have gotten married before I agreed to this mission…_" Sirius bemoaned to himself as imagined what his epitaph might look like. "_Sirius Vlair Black, died single…_" Mentally growling in aggravation, he silently thought to himself, "_Imagine how embarrassing that's going to be…_"

2…

"_What did I have breakfast?_"

1…

"FIRE!"

"FIRE!"

Sirius's eye bugged in surprise when everyone simultaneously shot off the Full-Body Bind Curse at the exact same moment – If possible, his eyes widened even further when he realized the supposed 'Death Eaters' were actually James and his regiment.

"_Oh joy…_" Sirius thought to himself as he fell stiffly to the ground.

"PA'OOT, vook wav yov di'!" James shouted non-too-happily, his voice slightly muffled by the ground plastered to his mouth. "D'v somethin'!"

"What do you want _me_ to do?" demanded Sirius, looking slightly offended. "You hexed me too, Mr. Captain I'm-so-smart-but-I-can't-even-tell-the-difference-between-Death-Eaters-and-my-best-mate!"

"Both of you; shut up!" shouted Kingsly Shacklebolt, a little more than irritated. "I believe our top priorities would be to break these bonds! Personally, I've never actually broken out of a full blown body-bind without someone else's aid. Seeing as we've all successfully hexed one another (points for accuracy), what are we going to do now? We'd be handing our lives to You-Know-Who on a silver platter if he comes back to find all of us like this!"

"Oh, the shame!" moaned Sirius. "What are people going to _think_? They'll think we're idiots for hexing each other with the Full-Body Bind Curse!"

"They don't _think_; they _know_ you're an idiot." muttered another auror.

"T' truv…t' truv!" agreed James wholeheartedly.

"Shut up, Jamie boy!" retorted Sirius as he struggled to free himself. "You know what?"

"Vat?"

"This incident is never leaving this mansion... got that?"

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

When they locked gazes for the first time, Harry felt an unexplainable mixture of conflicting feeling fill his soul: warmth, fear, delight, dread, love, and hate. The battle – the world around them slowly ebbed away into nonexistence. It was finally just him and Voldemort.

Scoffing lightly, Harry allowed a small, defeated smile to form on his lips – He had lost the war before the battle had even begun. He knew the moment that they had locked gazes that he would never be able to kill him. There were just too many things – unexplainable, mysterious things – holding him back.

"Harry, let's get out of here." urged Lance as he tried to heft his friend to his feet, only to send both of them crashing to the ground again when Harry accidentally grazed against his (Lance) injured leg.

As the duo struggled to rise to their feet again, they were both halted in their steps when Voldemort callously pressed the tip of his wand to Harry forehead. Before either of them had the chance to comprehend what was what, Voldemort changed the course of his aim to Lance and shot off the Killing Curse.

Harry felt something in himself snap when the jet of green light whizzed past his face to hit the person behind him. While Lance and he had never been close, Lance was still his companion – his comrade (and borderline friend). Pushing himself to his feet despite the protests of his nerves, Harry dangerously whispered in a low voice, "Leave them alone."

"Oh?" asked Voldemort, looking highly amused at the prospect of a ten-year-old challenging him. However, just as quickly as it came, the look of amusement dissolved into one of malice. "Never presume to give orders to Lord Voldemort…"

"I'll give it if I want!" Harry angrily retorted, sending Voldemort a withering glare that challenged him to contradict his verdict.

Voldemort hesitated for a brief moment in his response when he looked into Harry's impassioned, angry, emerald-green eyes – eyes that once mirrored his own before he had lost himself in the Dark Arts.

Harry's forehead creased slightly in confusion when conflicting emotions flitted its way across Voldemort's normally guarded features like an open book. Harry identified some of the emotions as recognition, disbelief, denial, anger, and then something he couldn't quite classify.

Harry's eyes were slowly drawn away from Voldemort's serpentine face to his hands – long, sinewy hands that were gripping his wand so tightly that his knuckles were turning a stark white (amazing Harry that the wand had yet to snap under the intense pressure).

As if suddenly remembering the death of Shan and Lance, Harry's remaining confusion was quickly replaced with deep loathing and disgust. It was loathing for the amount of pain and death Voldemort caused and disgust for his own sentiments towards the enemy.

Harry was rudely jolted out of his own self-disgust when the Dark Lord's eyes flashed, for a fraction of a second, from its ruby red hue to a startling emerald green that matched his own. Harry's heart pounded loudly in his ears as the deep loathing he held for the Dark Lord slowly ebbed away to be replaced, once again, by confusion. Looking into Voldemort's startled eyes (though carefully hidden), Harry knew without voicing the question that they had both felt the shock of familiarity that had passed between them during that brief moment. It was as if they had known each other long before now in a different time and place under direly different circumstances.

However, that fraction of a second passed quickly and reality returned with a vengeful force – They were enemies, destined (or doomed) to kill the other. He was the Dark Lord and he was Harry – a friendship between the two was not only inconceivable and preposterous, but also impossible. Harry was disgusted with even the _thought _that they could be anything but enemies.

However, even as he drew up that conclusion, Harry realized that he would never succeed in killing the Dark Lord – not because of the power or experience difference, but because something would always hold him back. Looking into Voldemort's cold, heartless eyes, Harry knew that the Dark Lord was suffering the same problem – they _wanted_ to kill one another, but _could_ not. A mysterious, ancient bond was holding them both back…

"_Damn fate and whatever is holding me back._" Harry thought vehemently to himself, glancing at Shan and Lance from the corner of his eye. "_Damn my feelings – I'm going to kill Voldemort even if I kill myself in the process._"

As if reading his very thoughts, Voldemort softly hissed, "The feeling's mutual."

With those last words, the Dark Lord shot forth a multitude of powerful stunning spells that sent Harry soaring through the air into a large, jagged boulder. The bond between them might have spared Harry's life for the moment, but its protection did not extend beyond that of death.

Voldemort, though sadistic and rumored to be insane, was not unintelligent. He had grasped onto the implications of the unexpected bond between them almost as quickly as Harry had. He knew that as long as he didn't _kill _the boy, there was nothing there to stop him from _harming_ him.

The Dark Lord's ruby eyes gleamed dangerously in anticipation as he slowly stalked towards his unconscious prey. Not only was Harry sporting several bruises and broken ribs (from the impact), he also had a large, growing bump on the back of his head as a result of slamming into the jagged rock head first.

Voldemort grinned slightly as he towered ominously above Harry's limp form, knowing that if Harry, by chance, died from natural causes (bleeding to death), it wouldn't be counted against him by the bond. The bond might have stopped him from _directly _killing the boy, but it held nothing against _indirectly _killing. That thought alone brought a twisted smirk onto the Dark Lord's lips…

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

"_One little black sheep…two little black sheep…three little black sheep…_" Sirius softly sang to himself as he rolled his eyes in dizzying circles.

"How long have we been here?" Kingsly asked in an attempt to drown out Sirius's horribly off-tune voice.

"2 hours, 47 minutes, 53 seconds and counting." answered one of the aurors that had been keeping track of the time.

"We're all going to die!" shouted another, cracking slightly under the pressure and worry.

"Hey, you want to hear a joke?" asked Sirius, suddenly stopping his song. Ignoring the exasperated and withering looks from everyone, Sirius prowled on by asking, "Why did the unicorn cross the forbidden forest?"

"O' brovfer," grumbled James, having heard several of his best friend's lame jokes during the span of their time at Hogwarts and over dinner gatherings. "_Someone please save me before I go insane!_"

"Because it felt a foreboding presence!" laughed Sirius. "Get it? Forbidden – foreboding?"

Everyone grunted and proceeded to block out Sirius's voice.

Moments passed in silence before a small voice squeaked in surprise. "J-James P-Potter? W-What are you doing here?" asked the new addition as he quickly dispelled the Full Body-Bind Curse, allowing James free access to his numb limbs.

James was prepared to thank whoever had helped him, but quickly stopped short when he found his savior to be a Death Eater.

"James, let me up!" Sirius cried indignantly.

"What do you want?" James demanded, tightening his grip on his wand. "Why would a Death Eater be helping me?"

Sirius tensed at the title Death Eater – all previous playfulness leaving his face in an instance.

"W-Wait James!" shouted the Death Eater, putting up his hands as a sign of peace. "I-It's me!" he cried as he quickly tore off his mask.

James blinked in surprise, recognizing the person behind the mask as the same person he had shared a dormitory with during his years at Hogwarts. "Vance?" James asked incredulously.

"H-Hey James!" greeted the brunette, shivering slightly.

James was slightly surprised to find his old classmate – the one who was practically scared of his own shadow – here, at Voldemort's lair.

"What are you doing here?" James asked. "I'm glad that you were here to help us, but it's dangerous – you should get out of here quickly!"

Vance shook his head from side to side and earnestly replied, "James, you're the one that should get out of here! Master will be back soon."

"M-Master?" asked James, realizing the implications of that one word. "W-Why did you betray us?"

"Why?" scoffed Vance, eyes hardening slightly. "Because what other choice did I have? Everyone looked down on me! Even my own house didn't want me! I'm nothing and I have nothing – I was going to commit suicide, b-but Master saved me! He gave me hope – a future!"

"Vance, what are you talking about?" James shouted. "Voldemort will not hesitate to kill you the moment you outlive your usefulness!"

"Do not speak his name!" shouted Vance, flinching slightly at the name of the Dark Lord. "And who said I served the Dark Lord?" he added, a small smile forming on his lips. "I serve no one but my Young Master – the Heir of the Dark Lord! He will protect me – He cares for me!"

"H-Heir?" repeated James, his heart pounding loudly in his ears. "_Does Dumbledore know about this?_"

"J-James, j-just go." stuttered Vance, his brief moment of courage depleted. "Y-Young Master will be here in a matter of minutes."

"Why are you, a Death Eater, helping us?"

"Not everyone, just you." answered Vance, glaring distastefully at Sirius. "I remember how you s-stood up for me t-that one time. C-Consider my d-debt repaid. T-The others s-stay – Master will be p-pleased!"

"Sorry…" whispered James before blasting Vance back with a powerful hex. While Vance was stunned, James quickly turned back to his fellow aurors and released them with a quick charm. "Let's go." he commanded once everyone regained their limbs. "And leave him be." he added when he saw two aurors stumble towards Vance from the corner of his eye. "He's not much of a threat. Let's go before…"

"Too late," Sirius muttered, tensing slightly. "They're here." He eyed the door warily as four Death Eaters stepped into the room by pairs. Following the four Death Eaters were two short men decked in green dress robes. Unlike the previous four, their masks were black and white – a replica of the yin and yang symbol. Lastly, carefully concealed behind the two short men was a young boy in silver-trimmed, emerald, silk robes.

James narrowed his eyes slightly as the four Death Eaters dropped simultaneously to their knees and plastered their forehead to the ground. Following their example, the two men in green dress robes quickly followed with a chorus of, "Master."

"_Young boys_," James thought incredulously to himself as he stared at the two men. "_Judging by their undeveloped voices, they're 14 at the very maximum._" Shaking himself out of his stupor, James slowly turned his attention to the last boy, whose features were carefully concealed by the misty, silver mask pulled across his face. "_He's barely older than 9! Is Voldemort recruiting children now?_" Fear clenched his racing heart at the thought of Voldemort going after his own child. "_What would he want with a 9-year-old heir? What purpose will he serve?_" he silently pondered as his heart cried out to the (mostly likely) orphaned children.

Sirius quirked an eyebrow as 'Mini-Voldie' (dubbed by the every brilliant Sirius) pulled out his wand from the confines of his long sleeves. Aiming his wand at Vance, he easily cast a simple 'enervate' spell without so much as uttering a word – startling some of the aurors that had dismissed 'Voldemort's Heir' as nothing more than a lame joke.

Casting his friend a sidelong glance to analyze his reaction, Sirius blanched slightly when he noticed that James had a glassy, far-away look in hazel eyes. While his physical body might be with them, James's mind had long drifted off into another dimension…

James was quickly startled out of his reverie when Voldemort's Heir gave two sharp, distinct claps. He watched with baited breath as Vance, pressed to his knees by the two teenagers, pleaded for understanding and forgiveness. The young Heir said nothing except tilt his head questioningly to one side. James highly doubted the Heir even knew what Vance was pleading for, much less the meaning of his position as Voldemort's Second-in-Command. He was too young, too innocent – it was too early for him to be embroiled in politics and warfare. What could Voldemort have possibly been thinking when he appointed the little boy as his Heir?

"No – No, listen, I beg of you!" pleaded Vance, snatching James's attention again. "Please give me a second c-chance! I w-won't f-fail you a-again! I s-swear!"

The child hesitated for a moment, as if pondering the verdict, before friendlily holding out his hand towards Vance.

James smiled slightly – He was right, the child was not only innocent, but kind and forgiving too. If they could just knock out those four blunder-heads (Death Eaters), they would be able to bring the three little ones home with them and give them a proper upbringing in the manners and morals of the Light…

Sirius watched impassively as the little child gave Vance the thumb-up sign. The gesture itself was innocent, but the aura around his little body was everything but – it was not only volatile, but sadistic in its mannerisms. Sirius's eyes widened by a fraction when the thumb-up sign slowly turned downwards…

"Bye, bye!" laughed the two teenagers as one roughly pulled Vance's head back by his long hair and the other skillfully slit his throat with a jackknife. Dropping Vance's lifeless body unceremoniously to the ground, the duo quickly shared a celebratory high-five in commemoration of their success.

"They're sick," Kingsly whispered as he eyed the bloody heap at the 9-year-olds feet. "They're not children – They're demons."

The Death Eaters began to chuckle as one of the two teenagers took a large step towards the group of aurors. "Catch them alive if possible…" he ordered, squaring his shoulders.

"If not – kill them, maim them – whatever." finished the other, stationing himself beside his twin.

"Our Master wants them out of this mansion – now." they concluded in unison. As soon as the order was given, the four kneeling Death Eaters were immediately on their feet and moving agonizingly slowly towards the bedraggled aurors. The aurors, who were still stiff and disoriented from the aftereffects of being held under the Full-Body Bind Curse for more than two hours, could only watch with growing horror as the Death Eaters advanced on them.

"Oh boy," James muttered as he quickly fell into a defensive position beside his fellow teammates, who had finally snapped out of their stupor in time to organize a half-decent counterattack.

"Calm down James," whispered Sirius, tensing his shoulders. "We have the Death Eaters outnumbered 2 to 1."

"Expelliarmus!" shouted James, shooting off the first curse.

The front Death Eater easily sidestepped it without as much as a pause in their advance.

"Don't take us lightly." the lead Death Eater hissed, sounding slightly offended by James's first choice for a curse. "We're part of the elite Death Eaters of our Master's Inner Circle. If you take us lightly, you'll regret it."

"Oh boy," Sirius muttered, mimicking James's expression of horror as the Death Eaters easily deflected his hex.

"MOVE," James shouted, quickly diving out of the way of the wave of 'Avada Kedavra' sent towards them by the four Death Eaters. The Killing Curses, to the Death Eater's credit, successfully killed two aurors and sent the other scampering around in a panicked frenzy.

Clenching his fists tightly in anger at their grave loss, James immediately turned his furious hazel eyes to the ringleader – the Heir of Voldemort.

D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y. &&& D. A. R. K. &&& P. R. O. P. H. E. C. Y

TBC

_Since now allows me to respond to the reviewers via reviews, I'll answer any of the question you may have for my story as long as it doesn't pertain to the future plot of it (I don't want to spoil it.) _


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

Author's Note: First off, I'm sorry it took me roughly three months to update – life got in the way. Second, due to much confusion in the last chapter, I want to say, Harry is not Voldemort's heir – I repeat, NOT! Third, which is connected to the second point, the scenes from the last chapters happened simultaneously. This means while Voldemort was fighting Harry, James and Sirius infiltrated Riddle Mansion…yes, got it? Great:)

**Reunion**

3/1/06 – 3/25/06

Voldemort's red-tinged eyes were cold and unforgiving as he leveled his wand at Harry's unconscious form. There were many ways he could end the boy's life without directly killing him – only a simple-minded fool would believe a simple bond would be able to keep him from killing the boy and reaching his ultimate goal.

The boy was nothing but a small obstacle in his plans – insignificant and worthless. It was almost meaningless to even bother with the child. He should just end the boy's life and…

"Don't listen to…him."

Voldemort's ruby-red eyes filled with vague amusement as a mixture of emotional and physical pain flickered across the boy's grim features.

"Tom…promise me."

All traces of amusement immediately fled from his eyes. His face remained perfectly neutral, betraying none of his inner turmoil, as the boy continued to murmur his muggle name again and again. Although he would never admit it to any one, it startled him to hear the boy whisper his name with such tenderness and…adoration. No one, except for his heir, had ever called him by his muggle name with such…love.

_Pop._

Voldemort's eyes flickered slightly in thinly veiled annoyance as a silver-clad Death Eater unexpectedly apparated onto the field. As the Death Eater stumbled about clumsily to regain his footing, nearly tripping over himself, Voldemort found himself vaguely questioning his heir's intelligence (and intention) for recruiting such a bumbling fool into her inner circle.

The Death Eater, finally noticing the Dark Lord's presence, quickly quivered and fell to his knees – not out of reverence for his master, but fear for his own well-being. "M-Milord!" he cried as he buried his face into the dirt, hoping childishly that Voldemort wouldn't see him if he didn't see Voldemort.

"Did my heir send you?" Voldemort demanded coldly.

"Um, yes…well, no…sort of."

"Crucio!"

The Death Eater shrieked in pain as the feeling of being stabbed repeatedly by thousands of butcher knives rippled through his body.

"Did my heir send you or not?" Voldemort repeated, eyes narrowing into dangerous slits.

"N-No, it's Potter and Black." the Death Eater frantically blurted.

"They sent you." Voldemort deadpanned, making his inquiry sound more like a statement than a question.

"N-No! That's not what I meant!" cried the Death Eater as he cowered back in fear. "No one sent me! I came because Potter and Black broke into Riddle Manor."

"And my heir is…" Voldemort icily prompted.

"Injured?" the Death Eater squeaked.

Voldemort's face immediately darkened as his fingers subconsciously tightened around his wand. "Avada…"

"Milord, please…spare me!"

"….Kedavra."

Voldemort's thin lips pulled downwards into a deep frown as the Death Eater crumbled lifelessly to the ground. He had been merciful, too merciful – the Death Eater hadn't deserved such a painless death…

"Malfoy!" Voldemort barked, catching sight of the pale blonde a few feet away. "Give the order to retreat."

Malfoy's eyes widened slightly in surprise at the unexpected command, but didn't question his master's decision – no one did.

Voldemort's eyes strayed to Harry again – it would be so easy to end the boy's pitiful life now, but…"Bring everyone to Riddle Manor. Potter and Black are awaiting our return – we mustn't disappoint our guests."

* * *

Sheena's weary-worn face reflected both bewilderment and relief as the Death Eaters abruptly retreated on the orders to return to…

"Riddle…Manor?" she repeated softly, eyes widening marginally.

"It's as we've feared."

Sheena quickly whirled around, face taunt with fear and eyes wide with panic – only to feel immensely stupid when she came face to face with Lyon instead of the Death Eater she had mentally envisioned.

"If Voldemort really is Tom Riddle, then it would be in our best interest to evacuate this island as soon as possible." Lyon hoarsely rasped, ignoring Sheena's look of bewilderment.

"Yes, of course," Sheena quickly agreed, regaining her composure. "I'll go find Roselyn, Fatima, and Simon while you go round up the students." She didn't miss the look of irritation that flashed across Lyon's face, but quickly brushed it off as a trick of the light. "I'll meet you back at the castle."

* * *

"I need more gauze!" shouted Trey.

"Where are the ointments and salves?" asked Emily as she dipped her bloodied hands into a basin of water.

"Katherine has it." Jason answered offhandedly. "Where do I put the bodies?"

"Don't do that, you idiot! Are you trying to burn down the castle?"

"I can't find the potion."

"Stella got bandages for master!"

"Someone go check on Harry, Shan, and Lance! They could be in trouble!"

"How do you cremate bodies?"

"Master, here are the ointments."

"Don't move around, idiot! You'll reopen your wounds."

"I'm going out. I need to find the others."

"I want this to stop! I'm scared!"

"I swear I'll break your legs if you take another step! I'd rather see you amputated than dead!"

Lyon took an involuntarily step back at the unexpected sight – it felt like he had escaped death only to step into hell.

"Master Lyon!" Katherine shouted exuberantly, finally noticing the solitary figure standing under the doorway. Echoed whispers of "Mater Lyon" immediately followed, coming from various corners of the castle as Lyon stepped fully into the Great Hall.

His eyes filled with pain as he gazed at his student's hopeful faces. They were all expecting the best of the situation, but there was no kind way to break the news - war was an ugly affair. "They have retreated for the moment…"

Trey immediately jumped up and whooped with joy as the Great Hall burst into happy chatter. They had won. They had won!

"But the losses were grave." Lyon grimly finished, eyes burning with a hollow sadness that seemed oddly out of place on his usually cynical and distrustful face. "They're dead."

"No…" Emily whispered, horrified.

"W-What?" Trey demanded, face turning a pale white.

Taking a deep breath, Lyon quickly moved aside, allowing the three levitated bodies to float into the room and settle gently on the ground.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Trey quickly raced forward and dropped to his knees beside Shan. Refusing to believe the worst, he quickly pulled up his friend's wrist to check for a pulse…and came up with nothing…

Aaron's head immediately snapped up when Trey, holding Shan's limp hand, suddenly started bawling – wailing and shouting curses in between vows of revenge. His heart pounded loudly in his ears as he took quick, but shaky steps towards his friends.

"Tell me you're joking, Trey!" he shouted angrily as he neared the red-head. "Don't lie to me…please...don't lie to me." he whimpered as frustrated tears shimmered in his eyes.

"He's not lying – Shan and Lance are dead." Lyon solemnly interrupted.

Aaron dropped limply to his knees. "This…isn't real." he murmured disbelievingly, shaking his head furiously from side to side.

"It's reality." Lyon harshly interjected, sounding cruel even to his own ears. "This is not the time for mourning - save your sorrow for the funeral. The most important thing at the moment is to tend to Harry and make sure he survives."

"H-Harry?" Aaron whispered, head jolting up in surprise. "He's not…dead?"

Lyon gave a short nod.

Trey was up and beside Harry in a second's notice, pressing his fingers gently to his friend's wrist to check for a pulse…

Nothing.

Digging his fingers deeper into Harry's wrist, he was just about to give up and declare Harry dead when he felt a dull throb under his clammy fingers. "Impossible," he whispered to himself as he quickly rechecked Harry's pulse again…

There it was again.

It was faint and weak, but it was there. Harry was alive.

Harry. Was. Alive. It took him a second to finally fully comprehend what "Harry was alive" meant…

"He's alive." Trey whispered breathlessly, his whole body humming with elation. "He's alive." he repeated, eyes welling with tears. "He's really alive." Feeling the agitation of his peers, he quickly lifted his head and shouted, choking over his words, "He's alive…he's really alive. Harry's alive!"

The room fell into excited jubilation as Emily quickly joined Trey in the task of tending to Harry's immediate life-threatening injuries. Then, as if suddenly remembering Shan and Lance's untimely death and realizing that there really was nothing to celebrate, everyone fell back into silence.

As minutes dragged into hours without a single word of encouragement from Emily or Trey, the tension in the Great Hall steadily grew thicker and thicker to the point of near-suffocation. No one dared to speak or even breathe loudly, fearing any sudden movements would result in Harry's death.

"We're going to need Master Fatima," Emily finally whispered, breaking the uncomfortable silence as Trey checked Harry's pulse again. "Every bone in Harry's body has been crushed or shattered in some form or another – both by magic and physical means. On top of that, he's suffering from severe internal bleeding due to a punctured lung and several broken blood vessels. At the moment, all that's sustaining his life is his magic, but I don't know how long that's going to last because as soon as that energy supply is depleted…Harry is going to die."

Snapping out of his daze, Aaron quickly whispered, slightly breathless, "I'll go get Master Fatima – she'll be able to heal Harry…She'll - She'll know what to do!"

"They'll be no need for that." a voice thick with negative emotions softly murmured.

Everyone's attention quickly snapped to the doorway again as Sheena trudged sullenly into the Great Hall with three levitated bodies behind her. Realization dawned on everyone like a falling boulder as Sheena gently laid the bodies beside Harry.

"We have to leave this island as soon as possible." Sheena added after a prolonged silence, allowing everyone enough time to process the additional deaths of Roselyn and Fatima.

"Why?" echoed through the room as everyone protested against leaving the castle – the place they had all come to consider as a home.

"We have to leave because of several factors." Sheena snapped irritably, looking on the brink of an emotional breakdown. "Voldemort might have retreated for the moment, but we don't know when he's going to come back again. We can't stand against him…we'll all perish!"

"Then we're going to run?" rasped Aaron, looking aghast at the idea. "You want us to run with out tails tucked behind our legs? How can you even insinuate that? This," he gestured, "is our home. These are my brothers," he motioned towards Shan and Lance, "They died to protect us and I'll accept nothing less than revenge!"

"Aaron…" Lyon grunted, shooting him a warning glare.

Ignoring the disgruntled look, Aaron quickly plunged on, "This island is my home and my friends are my family. Emily, Crystal, Katherine, Stacy, and Amy _are _my sisters. Just as Trey, Shan, Harry, Lance, and Jason (yes, even that prat) are my brothers. How can you expect me to act like nothing happened - that my brothers died for nothing?"

"Shut up!" hissed Sheena, eyes glazing over with tears. "You think I don't know how you feel? Do you think I'm a heartless coward? Let me tell you something, I understand pain and regret better than any of you! I lost most my friends - my family - to Tom Riddle's ambition 50 years ago. Like you, I was rash and hot-headed - I wanted revenge. I played directly into Riddle's trap…and Diana paid the ultimate price. She sacrificed her life…for mine."

"I…" Aaron trailed off, looking ashamed, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry to break the moment," Crystal interrupted, "but you better make up your minds now. Harry's dying." she murmured worriedly, jabbing a finger towards Emily and Trey, who's hands and clothes were soaked in Harry's blood. "Personally, I don't think anyone, even if he's protected by powerful magic, can survive without blood."

Wiping the residue tears from her tired eyes, Sheena quickly stated, "Crystal's right. We have to find treatment for Simon (who lost his left arm) and Harry quickly. I loath to leave this place as much as any of you do, but there's nothing we can do – we have to go. We have to leave this island."

"Where are we going to…go?" Emily asked softly as terror flashed across her face. "This is our home…where can we go?"

A pregnant silence followed as everyone nodded their heads in agreement – there was nowhere for them to go...

"We're going to London - the Wizard's Community." Sheena finally answered with resigned determination. "I don't want to hear any arguments – I am doing what I believe will be best for everyone. We'll come back here and reclaim our home…one day…I promise. But for now, we have to leave. It's no longer safe here – the wards have been torn down."

"How are we going to leave?" Lyon asked as he gazed sadly at his fallen comrades.

"How many of you have enough energy to apparate long distance?" Sheena asked briskly, setting her face back into stone.

Katherine, Jason, Amy, and Stacy tentatively stepped forward.

Sheena nodded her head in approval at Katherine and Jason, but felt a twinge of worry at the sight of Amy and Stacy (it seemed not even Dragon Riders were spared from the curse having dunderheads in their midst). But alas…"Trey will travel with Katherine; Emily with Jason; Crystal with Amy; and Aaron with Stacy. I will take Harry and Simon and the bodies of Fatima and Roselyn. Lyon will cover Odion and the bodies of Shan and Lance. Assemble the house elves and give them the order to wait for us at London."

"Yes, ma'am," everyone quietly answered in unison as Lyon wordlessly headed up the castle steps. He returned a few minutes later with Odion, who was still comatose, and gently laid him beside Fatima.

A tense silence settled around the castle as the house elves hurriedly apparated away with strict orders from Sheena to wait for them with their belongings in London. Once the house elves were successfully evacuated, Sheena quickly gave everyone a terse smile and a whisper of, "See you in London," before disapparating with a loud crack - taking Harry, Simon, Roselyn, and Fatima with her.

Sighing slightly, Lyon quickly redirected his attention to the students and almost grinned when he noticed the solemn looks imprinted on their faces, looking like they were preparing to apparate to hell instead of London. "It's a long distance from here to London." he stated, voicing everyone's fear. "But as long as you keep your attention focused on my energy signature, you won't get lost." Lyon gruffly assured before he was gone – taking Odion and the bodies of Lance and Shan with him.

With a collective sigh, the eight remaining students quickly followed suit; praying fervently that they'd land in the right place without splinching themselves or their partner in the process…

In one collective pop, all eight students were gone – leaving the castle barren and empty and the grounds littered with Death Eater corpses…

…They were going to London…

…Home of the Witches and Wizards…

…A place they had once called home before their initiation…

…The homeland of Voldemort.

* * *

Remus Lupin sighed tiredly as he stepped heavily out of Flourish and Blotts with an armful of old and battered books on Defense Against the Dark Arts. Although the books weren't the newest or the best, it was all he could afford…and they had decent information of the counter-curses he was researching. Although it was almost definitely impossible to find a counter-curse to the Killing Curse, he strongly believed that where this is a hope, there is way…

Sighing again, Remus silently resolved to aid his friends, who were constantly knocking at death's door, in any way possible. He had even volunteered to speak to the other werewolves once, but James and Sirius had passionately objected, arguing they would rather have him in one piece without the werewolves help than having their help and having him in pieces. Of course, seeing as his friends were James and Sirius, this objection quickly led to the inevitable discussion of whether werewolves ate their own brethren and whether werewolves were even edible…

Smiling slightly at the memory, Remus was just about to apparate home when a collective loud POP interrupted his concentration. He, along with the rest of the witches and wizards shopping at Diagon Ally, gaped openly as a horde of house elves (numbering about 57) suddenly appeared out of thin air, each carrying two trunks of baggage.

"House elves?" sneered one of the wizards as he towered ominously over a little, blue-eyed house elf. "What are you doing here…and what do you have in those bags?" he demanded, eyes gleaming wildly at the thought of innumerable riches hidden within the trunks.

Remus could understand why the wizard was suddenly so interested in the contents of the trunks – anyone who owned more than three house elf had to be rich. For any one person to own more than ten elves was…preposterous, unless they were royalty or filthy rich (or belonging to a large school or organization).

"Starry can not tell you." the blue-eyed elf retorted, turning up her nose in disdain.

The wizard, flushing a furious red at being dismissed by a house elf in front of a large crowd, quickly lunged at the small creature. Centimeters before the wizard could grab the house elf, the wizard found himself suddenly flung backwards by an invisible force.

"Master gave Starry orders to let no one near. I is not sorry for hurting sir. If good sir comes near Starry again, Starry will have to kill sir."

"You impertinent dwarf, how dare you mock me!"

"Sir, Starry is no dwarf – Starry is a house elf. Dwarves live in caves in the land of…"

"Stupefy!" the red-faced wizard shouted, flinging the elf backwards. "That'll teach you to…"

_Pop_

Remus blinked in surprise when an ancient-looking woman, who's skin seemed to be practically dangling off her flesh, suddenly appeared in the midst of the house elves with four levitated, bloodied bodies in tow. A minute later, another pop sounded beside her – revealing an elderly man (just as old as the woman) with three more bodies in tow. Seconds later, four children apparated onto the scene…

Eyes bulging slightly, Remus gaped in open shock as the group of 10-year-olds stumbled around blindly to regain their footing.

"I think I'm going to barf." a red-head mumbled as he clutched his stomach.

"I'm feeling kind of woozy too." agreed the girl beside him with a slight shake of her head.

"Did I loose a leg?" asked a boy with platinum-blond hair as he clutched his head in agony.

"No, they're both there, you prat." the red-head snapped.

"Who you calling a prat, dork?"

"Well, seeing as there's only…"

"Trey - Jason, stop your foolish bantering!" the old lady commanded, looking slightly peeved.

"Yes ma'am!" they answered in unison before simultaneously adding, "but he started it." They shot each other an irritated glare before quickly turning away with a loud huff.

"Is everyone accounted for?" the old man gruffly barked.

"No sir," Jason promptly replied, shooting Trey a smug look.

"Amy and Stacy, who are taking Aaron and Crystal, are not here!" Trey piped in, not to be outdone by his rival.

Blinking his eyes rapidly to clear his vision, Remus gently massaged his throbbing temple as he tried to sort out what he was seeing. First, a horde of house elves appeared seemingly out of nowhere with enough luggage to fill his entire cottage to the brim. Then, two ancient-looking people suddenly apparate onto the scene out of nowhere, levitating seven bloodied/comatose bodies behind them. Then, four children stumble onto the scene as if apparating at their age wasn't illegal! What was the world coming to?

"Butterly." Sheena stated as she thrust a pouch of rubies towards the head house elf. "Find a suitable home and get everything settled. Then go and locate the whereabouts of Crystal, Amy, Stacy, and Aaron. Report to me at St. Mungo's with full details after you accomplish everything."

"Yes Master!" the house elves chorused before promptly disapparating in a collective pop.

"Sheena, let's go. Simon and Harry need treatment immediately." the old man probed impatiently.

"I know, Lyon - I know." Sheena answered tiredly as Trey checked Harry's pulse again.

"He's still alive." Trey announced; his voice laced with relief.

"I know none of you have ever been to St. Mungo's, so it will be hard to get there. I've never actually been there myself either," Sheena began, twisting her hands irritably, "but it's supposed to be a large building labeled 'St. Mungo's'. It's a seven-story building with…"

Remus blocked out the rest of the elderly woman's description of the hospital as he turned his attention to the levitated bodies. There were four elderly men and women – three out of the four stained in blood – and three children – one of which was…James?

_Crack_

Remus quickly snapped out of his daze when the odd group of mismatched children and adults suddenly disapparated with a loud crack. He was surprised a ministry member hadn't arrived yet - children were strictly forbidden to apparate. Then again, those strange people didn't seem to have used wands…

Shaking his head slightly, he decided he'd mull over the strange occurrence later. He was probably just seeing things – that boy couldn't have been James and there was probably a very good reason why those people had seemingly apparated without a wand. They had most probably hid their wands inside their long, robe sleeves or something...

* * *

Lily bit her lips worriedly as Alice handed her a steaming cup of tea. Despite Sirius's assurance that Voldemort wouldn't be there when they infiltrated Riddle Mansion, she still couldn't help but feel something very big…and life-changing was going to happen soon.

"Lily, will you stop worrying and enjoy your break? James and Sirius will be fine – they'll be back safe and sound by the end of the day." Alice promised reassuringly. "Plus, if something does happen to them – not that I'm saying that anything will happen to them - you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks Alice…" Lily murmured absent-mindedly.

"Lily…"

"Emergency up at the front desk! Emergency at the front desk!" a loud voice shouted with the aid of the Sonorous Charm. "Calling Healers Potter and Stalwarts to Room 27A and Healers Smith and Young to Room 32B. I repeat, calling Healers Potter and Stalwarts to Room 27A and Healers Smith and Young to Room 32B!"

"I got to go," Lily murmured as she quickly shrugged on her medical robes, "I'll see you later, Alice."

"Be…careful." Alice waved as Lily swiftly hurried down the hall, dodging patients and nurses who got in her way.

"What's the matter?" Lily demanded as she walked briskly into the room. Glaring irritably at the nurses who were crowded around the patient and openly gawking at him as if he were some new specimen of a lost race, Lily hotly ordered for everyone to move aside and give the patient some air.

"Lily, your not going to believe this," Vanessa Stalwarts, a fellow Healer, murmured softly.

"What is it?" Lily asked fearfully as she stepped towards her colleague, knowing Vanessa wasn't the type of person who would gawk at patients or joke about their conditions.

"Besides the fact that it's almost definitely impossible to save him…" trailed Vanessa, looking truly perplexed, "he looks exactly like your husband…James Potter." Without leaving Lily time to demand an explanation, Vanessa quickly stepped aside, allowing Lily a full view of the patient's face - the face of a young, ten-year-old boy with remarkable resemblance to James Potter…down to the last strand of messy, black hair.

Lily felt her throat constrict painfully as she fell heavily beside the patient, allowing the shock to temporarily immobilize her body.

"Do you…know him?" Vanessa asked tentatively after watching Lily stare uncertainly into space for two minutes. "Is he a nephew or…"

Lily furiously shook her head from side to side as her eyes glazed over in pain and regret. "He - He's my son." she finally sobbed, cradling the boy's bloodied cheek in her hand. "I don't know how or why, but I know he's my son…my little Harry…" she whimpered softly as pained tears streamed down her cheeks.

* * *

TBC

_Author's Notes: I am so sorry the update took so long! I promise to be quicker next time (I hope)! Also, I hope the confusion in the last chapter was cleared up. If not, sign in and drop me a review stating what you don't get and I'll answer the question via the reply…thingy (yes, I know, real intelligent). _

_I promise I'll have the next chapter up by Easter Break at the latest! (It's probably going to be more Harry-centered and etc). _


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter!

**Happy Easter! (Belated or other, depending on your time zone). **Easter is one of my favorite holidays, second only to Christmas)

**Thousand Year's Worth of Knowledge**

4/12/06 – 4/16/06

_Harry…_

It was black. Everything was black – no light, no color.

_Wake up…_

It hurt. It pained to move.

_Harry Potter…_

Was this hell – this cold and chilling void, devoid of all hope and light?

_HARRY POTTER!_

Harry's eyes flew wide open in shock, revealing bright, emerald-green eyes. He couldn't see anything, not even his own hand – everything was shrouded in pitch-black darkness. "Lumos," he whispered softly.

Nothing happened – everything was still shrouded in darkness.

His heart pounded in panic. "Aaron! Trey, are you there?" No one answered him. "Is anyone there?" he hollered into the darkness. "Crystal? Katherine?"

"Harry, don't fret." It was an order, but the tone was gently and soothing. "Your friends are not here with you, but their hopes will always rest on you."

"Who are you?" Harry demanded cautiously as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

The voice chuckled softly. "You've grown paranoid, Harry."

"Who are you?" Harry repeated bitingly.

"I'm a friend." he answered cryptically. Before Harry could retort, he smoothly added, "Now, are you going to listen to what I have to say or are you going to continue to fire meaningless questions at me?"

Harry paused for a moment, weighing his options, before finally answering, "I'll listen, but tell me where we are first."

"…In the realm of the spirits."

* * *

Lily paced frantically back and forth in front of the door she had just recently been ushered out of. _Locked_ out of! They had barred her from her own son! What was the world coming to? Keeping a mother from her dying child? 

She growled in frustration, barely resisting the urge to pull her red-hair from her head. _She _was supposed be the one in there! Treating his wounds and caring for his needs. Not those other…_people_! Harry was her child, not theirs! Harry needed her! Her baby _needed_ her!

"Excuse me, but can you stop pacing?" asked an irritated, old woman.

Lily quickly whirled around and glared at the old couple and their solemn grandchildren. "What's it to you?" she snapped angrily, a deep frown marring her fair features.

"My grandson is in there," retorted the old woman, pointing the room behind Lily, "and is in a critical condition. I don't want you disturbing the healers with your incessant pacing."

Following the direction of the old lady's finger, Lily gasped in shock when she realized the old bat was pointing to the room where Harry was being treated. "Y-Your _grandson_?" stuttered Lily, aghast at the insinuation.

"Yes, my grandson." sneered the old woman.

* * *

"How much have you covered in DR History?" 

"We're on the history of the Black Lake." Harry answered promptly, smiling softly at the memory of Trey sleeping through every history class.

"…"

"Is something wrong?" asked Harry, quirking an eyebrow.

"Never mind, forget I asked." the voice muttered, sounding oddly irritated. "Let's just start from the beginning of history with the first generation of Dragon Riders and go on from there."

Harry groaned softly and discreetly shook his head from side to side. "I'm familiar with the history of the G-1 Dragon Riders. We can just skip to…"

"But I doubt you've had a visual presentation, right?"

"Visual presentation?" repeated Harry, shooting the darkness a strange look.

"Rather than just explaining, why don't I show you first?"

Before Harry had a chance to ask him what he meant by "visual presentation", the darkness around him quickly faded into a picturesque, grassy plain. Everything from the lush grass beneath his feet to the exotic plants surrounding the plain seemed to radiate with life. "Where am I?" he whispered breathlessly as his eyes greedily drank in the beautiful scenery about him.

"Besides the world (universe) you live in, there are a total of six others." a gentle voice whispered near his ears. "What you see now is the Land of the Dragons, Dargon – the original home of the Dragon Riders."

"Land of the…Dragons?" asked Harry, scrunching his forehead in confusion. "What do you….?"

"Don't speak yet, just watch."

Harry stopped mid-question and fell silent, acquiescing to watch the scene unfold before asking more questions.

A long, but comfortable silence stretched between them as they waited patiently for the scene to unfurl before their eyes. They didn't have to wait long before a loud _whoosh_ of air alerted them to a disturbance in the skies.

Harry, fully intrigued by the events thus far, quickly snapped his head up in hopes of catching a small glimpse of the disturbance. He wasn't disappointed. Massive beasts of impressive beauty, grace, and dignity circled the plains like avenging hawks, probing the land for unknown dangers and traps with their sharp eyes before finally deeming it safe to land.

"These are the treasured companions of the Dragon Riders." smiled the voice, radiating with righteous pride at the mention of these magnificent beasts. "These are the very Dragons that define the identity of the Rider."

"They look nothing like the dragons in the books…" Harry stretched his hand towards one of the Dragons longingly, but his fingers immediately swept through the image upon contact.

The voice chuckled again before whispering, "What you're seeing now isn't real – they are only memories passed down from generation to generation."

"Do these Dragons only exist here?" Harry asked curiously, eyes radiating with both longing and desire. "Can't they be found in my world?"

"As you've probably realized, the dragons of your world pale considerably in contrast to the magnificence of the Dragons of Dargon, the bonded friends and companions of the Dragon Riders. The dragons you see in your world can be found everywhere, but true Dragons exist only in Dargon."

Harry slowly meandered his way through the throng of Dragons, closely examining each one, before quietly asking, "How many different kinds of Dragons are there? From what I've seen so far, I'm sure there are at least two different species."

"There are four."

"Four?" Harry repeated disbelievingly. "I thought there would have been at least seven different species…" he softly murmured to himself.

"The most common Dragons are the Drakes, the "wingless brutes of foundation". They lack the magical prowess of their cousins, but their supernatural strength makes them formidable opponents and excellent domestic workers. The Drakes are the builders, the homemakers, and the frontier explorers.

"Then there are the Elemental Dragons, the guardians of nature and protectors of the weak. They can easily be classified into four different groups – fire, water, wind, and earth – by the color of their scales. The Elementals, although generally bonded to non-Riders, are a powerful species of Dragons that have complete mastery over their given element."

Harry's head snapped at the mention of non-Riders. "What do you mean by non-Riders?" Harry probed, creasing his forehead in confusion.

"Non-Riders are everyone else." The voice answered cryptically. "Before the Great War, non-Riders were the villagers – the family and friends of the Dragon Riders. But now, centuries after the Great War, the non-Riders are everyone who carries even an ounce of magical blood in their veins."

Harry narrowed his eyes and bitterly spat, "Then it includes the Potters."

"Yes, your parents and your brother are considered non-Riders…and if these Dragons had existed now, your family would have been bound to one of the Elemental Dragons."

Clenching his fist, Harry angrily shouted, "Then what's the point of electing Dragon Riders if just about anyone can be bound to Dragons? Doesn't it defeat the point?"

"No, it doesn't." the voice argued. "Dragon Riders, though related to non-Riders, are definitely in a league of their own. Dragon Riders are chosen every fifty years for their superior intelligence, power, and magical capability – if they were nothing special, there wouldn't be such a distinction between Riders and non-Riders."

"But…"

"It's the Dragons, isn't it?" the voice chuckled. "But if you understood the intricate nature of the bond between a Rider and his Dragon, you wouldn't be…jealous." The voice softly added, "It's unbecoming of a Rider to be jealous of such petty things, especially when they wield powers a non-Rider can only dream of having."

"Are you talking about wandless magic?" questioned Harry, looking torn between anger and embarrassment.

"Yes…and much more. If you had waited long enough for me to finish my explanation, then you would have known that the Royal and Heaven Dragons can only be bound to Dragon Riders."

"Why?"

The voice smiled. "The bond between a Rider and his Dragon is based on power. Non-Riders, regardless of how 'strong' they may be, can never match a true Rider in power…and that power is the difference between a Rider and Non-Rider." Then, in a slightly softer tone, the voice murmured, "And power is the main key to the Rider-Dragon bond…and it's a lack of that power that keeps a non-Rider from bonding with a Royal (or Heaven) Dragon.

"And I have a feeling you're going to ask me what is a Royal and Heaven Dragon next, right?" lilted the voice.

Harry gave a short nod of his head.

"Well, Royal Dragons are generally the ideal bonding partners of the Riders for a number of reasons. One is their supernatural speed and the other is their superior military and elemental power." The voice paused for a moment, as if to catch its breath, before continuing. "Then there are the Heaven Dragons, the sacred entities of Dargon. Though they are by far the strongest species, they are few (rare) in number. Only the leader of the G-1 Dragon Riders had the pleasure of bonding with one."

A few minutes passed in relative silence as Harry quietly stored the newfound knowledge about the Dragons into his memory.

"Harry, are you ready?"

Blinking slightly, Harry softly whispered, "Yes."

"Then I will continue on with my narration." conceded the voice. "As I've mentioned before, there are seven worlds altogether. These seven worlds existed in relative peace – none bothering the other…for a period of time. However, that peace slowly began to shatter after the initiation of the G-8 Dragon Riders.

"Peace between the Riders and the Demons were strained from the beginning, but when Kai, the leader of the G-8 Riders, accidentally killed the ambassador from the Land of the Demons during a sparring match….war broke out. Dargon was thrown into turmoil as the number of Dragons and Riders quickly depleted over the span of 673 years. This war quickly came to be known as the Great Dragon-Demon War."

Harry watched in open shock as the beautiful plain around him slowly shimmered into nonexistence, only to be immediately replaced by a bloody battlefield strewn with Dragon and Demon remains.

"The Great Dragon-Demon War was a terrible war. Nearly all the Dragons were annihilated and on a handful of Riders survived the ordeal." The voice sadly whispered. "The casualties just kept piling higher and higher each day…"

Swallowing the growing lump that was beginning to form in his throat, Harry quickly tore his eyes from the battlefield and softly asked, "Who won the war?"

"For the first 355 years, the Dragon Riders and Demons remained at a constant stalemate – neither giving ground to the other. But, after the untimely death of the Demon King Arastix, the Riders gained the upper hand. For 75 years, the Riders fought on with the hope that they'd win…but then Demon Prince Thomas Vladimir Ramsden took the throne…and the tides of the war changed.

"Thomas undoubtedly shared his father's penchant for cruelty, but he had a quiet intelligence about him that his father lacked. Whereas Arastix blindly sent his army into head-on battles, Thomas tactfully planned his confrontations. Thomas, unlike his late father, was charismatic, manipulative, and devilishly handsome. He proudly used those attributes to rally all the Demons of Hellania to his command."

"This was a real World War, wasn't it?" Harry asked softly, choking back a sob. "I mean, an actual World War that pitted one world against the other. Not the supposed 'world wars' from muggle history that involved several large countries…"

"Yes, you're right." The voice answered tiredly. "This was a war that pitted everyone residing in Dargon (world of the Dragons) against the residents of Hellania (world of the Demons). It was a World War that affected everyone…and ended with the 'demise' of Dargon."

"What do you mean 'demise'?" demanded Harry, curling his hands. "Did the Demons annihilate Dargon?"

"It'll be explained in time," promised the voice as the image around them shimmered again, changing the scene to show the final confrontation between Thomas and Kai in the Forbidden Glade of Dargon…240 years after Thomas took the throne.

Harry watched silently as the scene slowly unraveled before him…

"You've lost, Kai. Your pathetic Dragons are no match for the army of Hell." Thomas whispered dangerous, his emerald-green eyes flashing with a cruel glint. "Humans are gullible…so _trusting_…"

"What are you talking about, you demon scum?" spat Kai, clenching his fists. "You may have more warriors under your command than I do, but how many of them can you honestly say are loyal to you? Your minions obey you out of fear, but my friends would gladly lay down their lives for me because they are loyal to me!"

Thomas gave a mirthless laugh as he brushed his dark hair out of his face. "Do you know what universal, physical feature defines every demon's heritage?" he asked, an arrogant sneer playing at the edge of his lips. "Did you know that a demon's heritage is always reflected in his appearance?" Gently raking his long fingers through his hair, which was naturally highlighted by forest-green streaks, he softly whispered, "A demon's heritage can never be hidden or masked." Allowing a moment for the information to sink into Kai's mind, he added with a sadistic grin, "My element is earth."

Harry's eyes widened in apprehension as his attention quickly swiveled to the Dragon Riders standing behind Kai. Two individuals stood out immediately in the mass of Riders – one was a pretty girl with ocean-blue highlights and the other was a handsome boy with ruby-red highlights.

"Alexandria?" whispered Kai, looking horribly betrayed. "Harold?" He paused a moment to reign in his emotions before softly pleaded, "Tell me it's not true. Tell me that scum is lying to me! You wouldn't betray me! You're my best friends!"

Harold gave him a sad smile and murmured, "You would have made a great demon."

Kai's heart shattered with Harold's cold statement. He turned heartbroken eyes towards Alexandria and silently pleaded for her to scream, "Just kidding!"

Alexandria didn't meet his gaze as she looked past him to lock eyes with Thomas. "If circumstances were different, I might have fallen in love with you. If my heritage had been different…But the truth remains that I am a demon – in life and in death."

Taking this as his cue to completely break Kai's spirit, Thomas coldly stated, "This shows basic human stupidity. If you had bothered to study Demon History, then you would have known…But your race, blinded by prejudice, refused to study anything even remotely related to Demon Heritage…Your ignorance was your downfall."

"Who are you?" Kai asked brokenly, his throat constricting with pain. "Who are you?" he repeated, glaring at Harold and Alexandria.

"Your best friend, Harold, is the same demon who killed your family. He is better known as Lord Harold Orion Sinclair…my cousin." Thomas, smiling cruelly, seemed to derive sadistic pleasure from the look of pure terror on Kai's face. "…And your beloved Alexandria is Lady Alexandria Safire Galathea…my fiancée."

The image froze in motion as the scene slowly faded into the background.

A pregnant silence followed, neither wanting to break the silence.

Finally, swallowing the growing lump in his throat, Harry asked, "What happened afterwards?"

The voice didn't answered immediately, but it finally replied, "Only three Dragon Riders escaped from that confrontation alive (but not unscathed) – Kai was one of them." Seeing the confused look on Harry's face, the voice elaborated, "Aderyn, the leader of the G-1 Riders, swooped in on the back of his faithful Heaven Dragon at the last minute. He was able to distract Thomas, Harold, and Alexandria long enough for Kai and the others to escape."

"Then what happened?" Harry asked, urging the voice to continue with its narration.

"The war between the two races last for another three years before it ended abruptly. Civil war broke out in Hellania – apparently, both Kai and Thomas had been played the fool."

"What do you mean?" Harry demanded sharply, slightly frustrated by the voice's lack of forthcoming information.

"Remember how the war started with the assassination of the demon ambassador?" asked the voice. "Well, the whole scheme was planned by the Demon Advisor Dai, who had set his eyes on the Demon throne long ago. He had intricately devised this plan to keep the young, demon heir occupied…and while Thomas was busy battling the Riders, Dai gathered his forces and staged a coup d'etat.

"He didn't succeed though…

"Kai was wrong when he said Thomas didn't have the loyalty of his friends. Harold and Alexandria stood by Thomas through thick and thin…and ultimately sacrificed their souls for his sake. Through the sacrifice of his cousin and his beloved fiancée, Thomas was able to seal Dai away for eternity…

"After rebuilding the Demon Kingdom, Thomas turned over his throne to his mother…and joined his cousin and fiancée in death."

The voice sighed tiredly before murmuring, "One demon's ambition killed billions, desolated Hellania, and destroyed Dargon."

"So both worlds are gone?" asked Harry, feeling suddenly very empty.

"No, both worlds still exist."

Harry's head snapped up in attention and demanded, "What do you mean?"

"Both Hellania and Dargon are still in existence today. However, the entrance to Dargon has been locked by Aderyn (the first Rider), who quickly ushered all the surviving Riders and Non-Riders out of Dargon and onto Earth during the Demon Civil War. The Riders took nothing with them. They left their homes, their possessions, and their Dragons. Aderyn, the sole survivor remaining in their desolate homeland, gave up his life to seal the remaining Dragons inside Dargon…never to be opened again."

"…And that's why we're here." concluded Harry. "That's why we're on Earth – because three Riders (and many non-Riders) escaped here."

"Yes," the voice answered. "As time passed, they learned to assimilate into society, mingling with the muggles who were already in this world. Thus, Wizards and Witches were brought into existence."

"As descendants?" asked Harry.

"Mhm," affirmed the voice, "which is why all the Dragon Riders today are either Witches or Wizards." Sighing slightly, the voice sadly added, "But the treasured Arts of the Dragon Riders slowly disappeared with time…without the manuscripts the Riders had been forced to leave behind in Dargon, the new generations of Riders slowly forgot the old ways and the true power of the Riders were lost…"

"Is Kai still alive?" Harry asked abruptly as the pieces slowly fell into place. "From what I saw, Kai looked exactly the same age 673 years after the war as he did before the war began."

"Riders, unlike Demons, are not immortal. Riders retained everlasting youth through their immortal companions – the Dragons. However, immortality does not mean invincibility. With the death of the bonded friends, there was nothing to anchor the Riders to this world. While it's generally true Riders can still live up to 600 years, they no longer retain their youth and immortality."

"So that's it." Harry murmured, shaking his head.

"No, it isn't." The voice sounded troubled. "For centuries, things passed in relative silence. Generations came…and generations went. The Riders dutifully passed on their Arts – even though more and more knowledge was getting lost as the years passed. However, peace was once again shattered…fifty years ago.

"Chaos came in the form of a brilliant, charismatic Rider during the 62nd generation. His name…was Tom Riddle."

* * *

TBC 

Okay, this chapter doesn't have action, but it has a lot of information. **Please** make sure you understand all the events that transpired in this chapter, because this is the main foundation for everything in later chapters. _Drop me a review or e-mail if **anything** is unclear_. **HOWEVER, read the summary below before you ask questions!**

**Summary of the Events **

1. Harry learns that there is seven universes altogether – two of which is Dargon and Hellania.

2. Introduction to the four different species of Dragons – Drake, Elemental, Royal, and Heaven.

3. Non-Riders are everyone who are related to Dragon Riders, but are not the Riders themselves (who are chosen every fifty years).

4. The Rider-Dragon bond is based on power (only the first Rider had enough power to bond with a Heaven Dragon).

5. Peace between Hellania and Dargon was shattered during the 8th Generation when Kai accidentally killed the Demon ambassador. The war, known as the Great Demon-Dragon War, lasted for 673 years.

6. The war was held at a stalemate for 355 years, but then the Riders gained the upper hand for 75 years after the death of the Demon King Arastix.

7. The tides of the war changed when Prince Thomas took the throne. Thomas planted his cousin, Harold, and his fiancée, Alexandria in the midst of the Riders – giving him the upper hand in the war.

8. 240 years after he takes the throne (inheriting the war); Thomas makes the final confrontation with Kai. He reveals Harold and Alexandria as his cousin and fiancée by alluding to the details of demon heritage.

9. Kai and two other Riders are saved from death by Aderyn, the first Rider. However, their Dragons were killed in the battle. The war continues for another 3 years before it finally ends – because Civil War broke out in Hellania.

10. Harry learns that the whole war was single-handedly plotted by Dai, the Demon Advisor, who was planning to take over the throne of Hellania. He pitted Thomas against the Riders to weaken Thomas's power…

11. Alexandria and Harold sacrifice their souls in order for Thomas to seal Dai for all eternity. Thomas, after rebuilding Hellania and giving the throne to his mother, joins his friends in death.

12. During the events of the Civil War, Aderyn (the first Rider), sent all the survivors (three Riders and many non-Riders) of Dargon to Earth without anything (manuscripts or Dragons). Then Aderyn, sacrificing his life, sealed the remaining Dragons inside Dargon…forever.

13. Centuries passed and the non-Riders assimilated into society, mingling with muggles of the world…and thus creating Witches and Wizards, the intermediary race between two vastly different worlds.

14. Riders (12) were still chosen every fifty years, but the Arts were slowly lost through time. Riders, unlike Demons, were not immortal without their Dragon companions (and didn't live past the age of 600).

15. Peace was retained for centuries. True Riders lived apart from society and passed on their Arts from generation to generation (even though most of the Arts were lost). But then peace was shattered again by the emergence of the G-62 Rider, Tom Riddle.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

**Regeneration of a Generation**

_4/19/06 – 6/21/06_

Vanessa blinked tiredly as she stepped out of the Emergency Room. "May I please have the attention of the family of Harry James Potter?" she asked wearily, groaning silently when she finally noticed the myriad of people – young and old – gathered in front of the ER room.

"Yes, that would…" Lily immediately answered, stepping forward.

"Excuse me," interrupted the old woman, jumping to her feet, "but I think you got the name wrong. My grandson's first name is Harry, but he is not a…Porter."

"Potter," Lily corrected, glowering slightly. "Harry's my son."

"His name is Harry Morcant Darconis." shouted the woman, surprisingly loud for someone her age. "And he's _my_ grandson!"

"I don't know what's going on, but I can assure you that Harry is…"

"That's enough!" intercepted the old man, curling his hands into tight fists. "Sheena, sit down!"

Sheena, more out of shock than obedience, quickly plopped back into her seat.

"We can settle Harry's heritage at a later time – I'm sure it's just a simple misunderstanding. What matters the most right now _isn't_ whether he's your grandson," he paused, leveling a patronizing glare on Sheena, "or your son," he finished, turning the same glare on Lily.

Both Sheena and Lily had the decency to look ashamed as they simultaneously turned their backs to each other.

"How's Harry?" Trey asked worriedly, ignoring the adults' childish behaviors. "Is he all right?"

Frowning grimly, Vanessa softly answered, "We've succeeded in mending a good portion of his injuries and temporarily stopping his bleeding. However, there's still a fifty-fifty chance that he might not make it past tonight. He's very weak – I'm surprised he's still alive at all."

"No…" Katherine whispered softly as everyone fell into a pensive silence.

"What's the point of having useless Healers like you around?" roared Trey, breaking the tense silence. "You're all useless!"

Vanessa looked slightly taken aback by Trey's violent response, but took the accusation in stride. Sometimes she really hated her job…

"What do you mean?" snapped Sheena.

"Let me in there this second!" demanded Lily, narrowing her eyes. "_I'm _the Head Healer!"

"Harry can't die!"

"He's strong – you're lying!"

"I can't believe it! I'm not going to believe something as ridiculous as that!"

"I don't want to hear any more lies!"

Vanessa stumbled backwards in shock as the odd group of mismatched adults and children shouted furiously in her face – calling her a liar and good-for-nothing Healer.

"What's going on?" shouted a highly irate voice over the chaos. "Get out of my way!"

"Aaron!" Trey shouted, eyes watering slightly at the sight of his best friend.

"How's Harry?" Aaron immediately demanded as he hobbled towards his red-headed friend, gently pushing Crystal aside so he could walk without her aid. Behind Crystal (who was frowning angrily at the offhand manner she was dismissed by Aaron) trailed Amy and Stacy, both looking half ashamed and half guilty.

"Where were you four?" snapped Sheena, rounding on her students like a hungry vulture.

"Thanks to Amy and Stacy," spat Crystal, sneering slightly, "We landed smack dab in the middle of a wedding ceremony in Timbuktu!"

If the situation hadn't been so serious, Trey would have doubled over in laughter, but given the situation and the murderous glare Aaron was freely offering everyone, he wisely chose to update the newcomers (mainly Aaron) on Harry's critical condition.

At the mention that there was a high possibility that Harry could die, Aaron's entire countenance immediately tensed, becoming as rigid as a rock. "If Harry dies, you can count on joining him in death." he hissed menacingly, taking a threatening step towards Lily and Vanessa. "And I _don't _make empty threats!"

* * *

"Tom Riddle?" repeated Harry, scrunching his forehead in concentration.

"Or otherwise known as Lord Voldemort, the Dark Lord." the voice answered, easily detecting Harry's unspoken confusion. Pausing for a second, he whimsically added, "You and Tom are very much alike, you know?"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry, torn between righteous indignation and burning curiosity. "I'm nothing like him."

"Are you sure?" the voice laughed, sounding oddly hollow. "I can list a myriad of similarities simply off the top of my head: You were both abandoned by your families, you both have immense powers, you were both chosen to be a Dragon Rider…and the two of you even _look _alike!"

Harry scoffed derisively, but didn't bother to interrupt the voice. "_Let him think what he wants_," he silently consoled himself, "_but I am _nothing _like Voldemort!_"

"…Diana would have loved you. She loved Tom, you know?"

Blinking in confusion, Harry intelligently asked, "Huh?"

"Diana's my wife," explained the voice, his tone immediately softening at the thought of Diana.

"_Diana? Where have I heard that name before_?"

"Diana was barren…we never had children. But Diana loved children and longed for one to call her own. When Tom, young and orphaned, joined the midst of the Dragon Riders, Diana's heart immediately went out to him. She cared and loved him like a mother and spoiled him like a doting grandmother. She loved him with all her heart…and for countless years, we blindly believed Tom reciprocated those feelings – if not out of love, then out of gratitude.

"We were all entranced by his charm, charisma, and unlimited potential. He was the epitome of the perfect Rider – kind, gentle, respectful, and honorable…yet brave, authoritative, intelligent, and powerful. We all had high hopes for him – especially Diana. We were planning to appoint him as the G-62 Dragon Master, the leader of the Dragon Riders, when we got our first glimpse of the boy…no, monster beneath that innocent façade.

"Tom, having been accepted to Hogwarts at the age of ten (two years after his initiation), had pleaded endlessly to be allowed to attend the school. Diana, never to deny him anything, heartily agreed…and I trusted her decision. The rest of the council, following my lead, gave our consent and blessings to him…on the condition that he continued to study the DR Arts in between his schooling.

"He immediately agreed. I saw something dark…quite inhuman flash through his eyes that day, but, blinded by my sentiments; I foolishly brushed it off as nothing. As promised, Tom went to Hogwarts and continued to study the DR Arts during his spare time. It was amazing how fast he could absorb information with little to no effort. Even without our tutelage, Tom easily surpassed his peers. By the end of his sixth year at Hogwarts, his knowledge was so vast that it could have easily surpassed mine…only experience and power (that he hadn't unlocked yet) kept him from truly surpassing me.

"Intrigued by his intelligence and power, the council and I decided to send him a copy of the Lost Times – a historic recording by Kai of the events beginning from the Riders' exile from Dargon up until his death. Kai, sealed out of his homeland by Aderyn, devoted the rest of his life to finding a way to reopen Dargon. We have reason to believe that he succeeded."

Harry quickly squelched his rising excitement and evenly asked, "Then why hasn't Dargon been reopened yet?"

"Because Kai found the answer on his deathbed…he died soon after he cried, 'Oh, the irony! The Three Keys, both the destruction and the resurrection! Aderyn, you senile fool! What game are you and fate weaving? Woe is Dargon, my home, my birthright! Woe is my people…Oh the irony…the irony!'"

Swallowing the growing lump in his throat, Harry softly asked, "Did Kai keep a record of his research? Did he leave any clues?"

"The Lost Times is the product of Kai's research. However, it is written in a language unknown to us. Kai's journal, although harmless in itself, ensnared Tom in its promise of power…and ultimately served as the catalyst that brought forth Lord Voldemort."

"Voldemort wanted to reopen Dargon…for power?" whispered Harry. "Then why didn't he stay with the Dragon Riders? Wouldn't he have learned more about Dargon here than at Hogwarts? This doesn't make any sense!"

"Tom needed minions."

"Minions?" repeated Harry, scrunching his forehead in confusion.

"At first, Tom wanted revenge against his muggle father for abandoning him when he needed him the most. However, that hatred quickly evolved into hatred for all muggles, who had treated him poorly during his first eight years at the orphanage. Tom's hatred extended beyond petty revenge…he wanted to wipe out all muggles. However, to reach those goals, Tom needed supporters – minions. He obviously couldn't recruit his fellow Riders without us getting suspicious, so he turned his attention elsewhere – to Hogwarts. There, he found numerous supporters from the House of Slytherin, who were entranced by his power and charisma.

"But as his power and influence grew, so did his ambition. Tom wanted power – Pure, unadulterated power that Aderyn had possessed. By the time we realized his malicious intentions, it was all ready too late. He had learned everything we had to offer…and more.

"Tom had always succeeded in everything he pursued, so when he failed to decode Kai's journal, it only intrigued him further. Even up till this day, Tom is still searching for the Three Keys Kai had mentioned on his deathbed. Tom is convinced that Mesonia Island holds the answers to decoding Kai's journal."

"Is it?" asked Harry.

"Maybe," shrugged the voice. "Who really knows? But Tom never gave up. Counting his latest attack on Mesonia Island, it should be his third attempt. Another quality you share with him, am I correct to assume? You two would never give up until you either died or reached your goals…"

"I'm not him." Harry stated.

"No, you're not." agreed the voice. "After all, it's the choice that molds the person. Tom was destined for great things, but he chose to work for the Dark. Now, the same choice is placed before you. What do you choose? The Light or the Dark?"

* * *

The intercom suddenly flickered to life. "Calling all Healers, Nurses, and Apprentices – Report to the front desk immediately. Attack by You-Know-Who has left fifteen dead and many more injured. Again, calling all Healers, Nurses, and Apprentices to the front desk – It is a code red emergency!"

Lily turned and gave the room Harry was resting in one last, longing glance before quickly hurrying off to catch up with Vanessa, who had already sprinted off towards the front desk with a number of Nurses and Apprentices in tow.

"What about Harry?" she heard the red-headed boy holler angrily as she turned a sharp corner.

"I'll be right back, Mommy promises. Hold on for me, Harry. _Please_, hold on." whispered Lily as she dashed down the halls. She quickly skid to an abrupt halt when she barely missing smashing into a patient. "I'm terrible sorry, sir! I hope I…James?"

"Lily, thank God you're here!" whispered James as he pulled his wife into a tight hug. "You've got to save Sirius. You have to help him. He can't die. You have to save him! Please don't let him die!"

"James, slow down. What's going on? What happened to Sirius?" Lily demanded evenly, trying desperately to calm her near-hysterical husband.

Closing his eyes, James took a deep, calming breath before giving a watered-down version of what happened at Riddle Manor. "We successfully infiltrated Riddle Manor without a glitch. Then, to better investigate Voldemort's lair, we broke into two regiments. However, we ended up stunning each other by accident.

"Then Vance, former classmate and current Death Eater, released me because of sentimental reasons. He urged me to leave because his Young Master was coming…but he wouldn't allow the others – especially Sirius – leave. So I stunned him and released Sirius and the others. But before we could leave, he came."

"Who?" demanded Lily, eyes widening. "You dueled Voldemort?"

"No," James shook his head. "We met four Death Eaters, Voldemort's nine-year-old heir, and his heir's twin bodyguards."

"Voldemort has an heir?" Lily asked incredulously.

"Yeah, and Snivellus just so happened to forget to mention that when he said Voldemort way away!" growled James, eyes blazing with fury. "I'm going to kill that greasy git when I get my hands on his scrawny, little…"

"You mean a few Death Eaters and a nine-year-old child nearly wiped out your entire regiment?" Lily asked skeptically, wondering if James was pulling her leg…again. "I want the truth, James…this isn't a joking matter."

"I'm telling the truth!" roared James, turning away angrily. "We managed to kill three of the four Death Eaters and apprehend the two teenage bodyguards. But when I was about to corner mini-Voldie…Voldemort arrived." James' eyes clouded with pain as the events replayed itself in his mind. "He was furious."

"Voldemort?" asked Lily.

James gave a short nod. "He immediately placed himself between me and his heir. Then he looked at me – his sinister, pale face twisted in fury. That was when he shot off the first curse…without a word." He paused, taking a breath, before softly continuing. "I was knocked back, nearly unconscious when Voldemort shot his second curse. I was disoriented and didn't see the curse until it was only seconds away…Sirius, reacting on instinct, shielded me with his own body."

"Is he…?"

"I don't know!" cried James, shaking his head. "We managed to escape Riddle Manor, but I lost more than half of my regiment."

"James, it's not…"

"Don't you see, Lily? I should be the one in there! I should be the one injured! Not Sirius…"

"James, listen to me, calm down. Sirius is going to be fine!" she shouted, more to assure herself than her husband. "I'm going to go check up on him right now…he'll be fine. He _has_ to be fine…"

"I hope so…" whispered James, lifting his head heavenward to keep the tears from spilling down his cheeks.

* * *

"Neither."

"Neither?" repeated the voice, sounding slightly skeptical.

"I will fight for neither the Light nor the Dark. The Light betrayed me when I was a child and the Dark destroyed my home. I fight for my friends and whatever is beneficial for me." Harry answered confidently.

"A good answer." praised the voice as a solid figure shimmered into view. "I'm proud of you, Harry."

Harry stepped back in surprise. "Master Odion?" he asked disbelievingly, remembering the face of the current Dragon Master from the time he had accidentally stumbled into Odion's room. He had been in a coma then.

Sensing Harry's unspoken question, Odion gently answered, "I'm still in a coma and the chances of me waking up are close to nil. However, I am not unaware of what is going on. I have seen what has happened to Mesonia Island…and I deeply regret that I couldn't be there to help."

"Then how am I talking to you…?"

"Because of your injuries, your energy is low and more in tune with mine. In other terms, we're on the same wavelength. However, my time is running short – What little energy I have regained is draining away as we speak. So let's not waste any time and let me get to the point of why I showed you the history of the Dragon Riders and Tom Riddle."

"You want me to stop Voldemort?" guessed Harry.

"Yes…and no." Odion replied as he gently tugged the end of his snowy-white beard. "At this point, you're power is no match for Voldemort. However, not all hope is lost. There are several things I need you to do for me right now. First, I want you to try to decode the secret behind Kai's Journal because if we can return to Dargon and regain control of the dragons, Voldemort won't be a problem."

"But doesn't Voldemort have Kai's Journal?"

Odion grinned and shook his head. "The one Voldemort holds is a copy. I believe Sheena holds the original journal. But besides looking into Kai's Journal, I want you to find Diana."

"Your wife?" asked Harry. "Isn't she…dead?"

"Everyone says that, but I have reason to believe that she is only in hiding. The bond we share tells me that she is still alive. Even though I haven't been able to find her, I know she's out there…somewhere. Diana is invaluable – not only as a healer, but as the mother figure Tom never had. If anyone, Diana would know Tom best...which means there's a possibility she might know his weaknesses as well. Also, there's a high possibility that the last Rider – the missing child – is with Diana. Although I'm not completely sure, the chances that Diana is personally training the last Dragon Rider is very high."

"I'll try my best to find your wife." Harry promised, inclining his head slightly in respect. "However, if I may ask, why is Master Diana not with the rest of us? Why is she in hiding?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure." replied Odion, sighing deeply. "But I think she may have left partially out of guilt. Diana disappeared shortly after Tom – no, Voldemort – invaded Mesonia island for the first time. I believe she may feel responsible for Tom's crimes because she was the one who raised him."

Harry clenched his fist as he softly whispered, "I'll do all I can to bring Master Diana back to you. You have my word."

"Thank you," Odion smiled – a smile filled with sorrow and longing. "However, before I leave you. There are two more important things I need to tell you. First, you need a partner. And before you ask, a partner is a _predestined_ companion who you will be bound to for life. You have no choice in the matter – your partner could be male or female, friend or rival."

"We're bonded…for life?" Harry asked, unsure if he liked the prospect of being bound to someone – especially if that someone happened to be Stacy or Amy – forever. Eternity was an awfully long time…

"It's the Friendship Bond – one of the three strongest bonds known throughout the worlds. However, although the Friendship Bond is strong, it is not the Mating Bond. You are under no obligation to marry your partner…although many do." Odion explained, a knowing smile playing on the edge of his lips. "But then again, my partner was Sheena, but I married Diana."

"Um…okay." trailed Harry, unsure of how he was supposed to respond to a statement like that.

"Okay, enough about bonds and partners – you'll learn more about them from Sheena, who will be in charge of helping you find your destined partner." Odion quickly brushed aside. "Now, there is one last thing I want to do before our time is up."

Harry cocked his head to one side in curiosity. What else was there to say?

Odion smiled as he removed the golden, dragon pendant from around his neck. "I want to make you," he began as he stepped closer to Harry, "the leader of the G-63 Dragon Riders."

"What?" shouted Harry, shocked by Odion's sudden verdict.

"I want you to protect and guide the Dragon Riders in my stead." whispered Odion as he looped the dragon pendant around Harry's neck. "You'll make a fine leader. Everyone trusts you…and rightfully so."

* * *

James immediately jumped up when he saw Lily exit the ER. "How's Sirius?" he demanded, worry lining his face.

Exhaling a pent of breath, Lily lifted her head and smiled. "Sirius is going to be fine. He just needs a lot of rest."

"Can I go see him?" asked James, a large grin breaking across his face.

"Not yet," answered Lily. "The Healers are still treating his wounds. You can probably go see him in an hour or so." she estimated, offering her husband an encouraging smile.

"I'm glad," whispered James, feeling relief flood through his body.

"I almost forgot!" Lily hissed, slapping her forehead.

"What is it, Lily?" James asked worriedly.

"It's Harry."

"Harry?"

"It's our son – Harry." explained Lily. "He's alive, but he's in a critical condition. He might not survive past tonight…"

"Lily, what are you talking about?" James asked confusedly. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I'm not lying. It's Harry – I just know it is. He looks exactly like you!" Lily gushed. "Come with me – I'll show you!"

James, unsure of what was going on, allowed his wife to drag him down the winding halls to stop in front of room that was crowded with people. "Lily…" he began, but quickly trailed off when he realized Lily was glaring at a woman – an _old _woman. What was she doing?

"Just to make things clear, Harry is _my_ grandson." snapped Sheena, shooting Lily a disdainful glare.

"He's my son!" retorted Lily, surprising James.

Lily was never this volatile towards the elderly…

"I _raised_ him." argued Sheena.

"I gave _birth _to him!" Lily vehemently replied.

"He's my…" Sheena began, but quickly trailed off when the door leading to Harry's room suddenly slammed open. Everyone quickly fell silent when the object of their discussion suddenly stepped out of the dark room.

"Harry…" whispered Lily as tears welled in her eyes, "My little boy."

Beside her, James looked on with disbelief. Harry was alive? But…how was that possible?

"Odion…" Sheena whispered softly when she finally noticed the golden pendent hanging from Harry's neck. Without another word, she quickly dropped to her knees and touched her head to the ground.

Lyon, finally coming to the same conclusion as Sheena, quickly followed her example and fell to his knees. He didn't know _why_ Odion chose Harry, but it wasn't his place to challenge his friend's authority. Although he didn't personally think Harry was the best choice, he respected and honored his friend's decision.

He would recognize Harry as the new leader…if not for Harry himself, then for Odion's sake.

Although most of the children remained confused, Katherine was able to recognize the pendent and remember what it stood for. Understanding the implications behind Harry wearing the Dragon Pendent, Katherine quickly dropped to her knees and pressed her forehead to the floor.

Even though Aaron and Trey were still confused, they wisely kept their mouth shut and copied Katherine's example. As soon as Aaron and Trey were on their knees, the rest of the children quickly followed suit. None of them (except Katherine) understood what was going on, but they all realized it was something important that had to be done in complete silence.

James and Lily shared a questioning glance, but before they could ask why everyone was suddenly prostrating themselves before Harry, Harry spoke. His voice was soft, but authoritative.

"Master Odion has given me four tasks – decode Kai's Journal, find Master Diana (who _is_ alive), commence the Bonding Ceremony, and take his place as the next Leader of the Dragon Riders." stated Harry, face devoid of emotion. "If there are any objections to Master Odion's decision, please step forward."

When no one moved, Harry calmly switched over to Gaelic. "_If there are no objections to Master Odion's decision, I will officially take over his position as Leader. Although I lack the experience, power, and wisdom that Master Odion possessed, I will do all in my power to guide and protect all those who are under my jurisdiction._"

In unison, everyone respectfully answered, "_We swear to remain loyal to you from now unto death._"

"_You may arise_." Harry finished. Flicking his eyes towards Aaron and Trey, who looked slightly uncomfortable, he added in English. "We are family. There is no need for formalities between us." Then, turning his attention to Sheena and Lyon, he softly stated. "Although Master Odion has placed me in charge, I have nothing but the absolute respect for the both of you. If there is anything you wish or command, I will do everything to the best of my ability to fulfill your request."

As soon as Harry finished speaking, Aaron and Trey immediately raced forward and enveloped him in a tight hug. Finally realizing that Harry was in pain, Trey quickly shouted, "Aaron, back off. Harry's still weak – don't hold him so tight."

Harry shot Trey a thankful glance as Aaron quickly released his sore body from the bone-crushing hug. Smiling softly, he jokingly stated, "Let's get out of here. Hospitals are creepy – they're too white."

"Hey!" shouted Trey, playfully smacking Harry on the shoulder. "Emily and I will be working in one for the rest of our lives!"

"My sincere apologies," Harry sarcastically replied. "I didn't know…"

"How did you heal so fast?" Emily softly asked, immediately flushing a bright red when she realized she had just interrupted their conversation.

"Master Odion gave me what energy he had left, which was enough to speed up my recovery by three fold." Harry gently answered, flashing Emily an encouraging grin. "However, to awaken Master Odion from his coma, we will need to find Master Diana."

"Do you know where she…" Katherine began, but was quickly interrupted by another voice.

"Harry!" cried Lily, successfully gaining everyone's attention. "Don't you remember me? I'm your mum! And this," she added, pushing James forward slightly, "is your dad."

Harry's smile fell as he finally noticed the two for the first time. How could he have not sensed them? Was he really that weak? Pulling on an expressionless façade that belied his inner turmoil, he calmly answered, "I'm an orphan – I have no Mother or Father. My teachers are my parents and my friends are my family. I need no one else."

"Do you remember who I am?" Lily asked softly. "Do you recognize James?"

"You're the woman who shunned me and he's the man who abandoned me when I was a child." Harry coldly answered. "I remember both of you, but neither of you will remember me…"

"What are you talking about, Harry?" Lily asked questioningly.

"Son…" James began, but quickly trailed off when he found himself at the other end of Aaron's glare.

"You want me to do it?" asked Aaron, understanding what Harry was hinting at.

"I was careless – They heard too much." stated Harry. "However, I do not wish their deaths." Turning his back to his parents, he softly whispered to Aaron, "Erasing their memory is out of the question because it'll become suspicious if other people remember, but they don't. The only solution is to use the memory altering charm. Make sure they don't have any special recollection of me – as far as they'll remember, we're just an odd, but ordinary family."

"Consider it done." Aaron grinned as Sheena and Lyon quietly herded everyone out of the hall. Trey, sensing his friend's fatigue, quickly slung one of Harry's arms over his shoulder.

"Harry, where are you going?" Lily frantically demanded. "You're not fully healed yet. You shouldn't be walking around like that…"

"Harry will be fine in our care." snapped Aaron, earning a glower from James. "At least, we'll love him…and stick by his side forever. You don't need to worry about Harry. You should worry more about yourself."

Before James had time to react, Aaron quickly raised his finger towards James's forehead and whispered, "Memoria Vicissitudo." He quickly repeated the process with Lily, altering her memories so she believed that Harry was just a regular patient who was finally ready to be discharged from the hospital.

While Lily and James were still disorientated from the Memory Altering charm, Sheena quickly ushered Aaron out of the hall to join the rest of them at the reception desk, where they were trying to discharge Harry from the hospital.

"How'd it go?" whispered Trey.

"Went without a glitch." smirked Aaron, arrogantly crossing his arms across his chest.

"Crystal was forced to alter Healer Vanessa memories too. She remembers too much that could jeopardize the memory charm placed on the Potters." Katherine interjected, overhearing their conversation.

"If the three of you are done muttering," Harry began, "let's go."

"Aye, aye sir!" joked Trey, doing a mock salute.

"What about Masters Odion and Simon?" Emily asked quietly.

"We'll come back for them later. It's probably better for them to stay here where there are Healers to monitor their conditions." Lyon gruffly answered, causing Emily to shrink back in fear.

"Where are we going?" Crystal asked curiously.

"Butterly – my house elf – has all ready secured a place for us." Sheena answered crisply. "If there are no objections," she stated, glancing towards Harry, "we'll stay there for the time being."

"It sounds like a good idea," Harry agreed. "It'll give me time to recuperate…and plan for the Burial Ceremony."

At the mention of the Burial Ceremony, everyone immediately fell silent.

Blinking back the tears that had gathered in his eyes, Harry softly whispered, "This is not the time for sadness. Master Fatima, Master Roslyn, Lance, and Shan died to save us – all of us. They wouldn't want us moping and dejected for the rest of our lives. Let us honor their memories by living the life they wanted us to have – one filled with happiness and love."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Trey softly whimpered, "H-Harry's right. We'll be fine. We still have each other."

"Then let's get out of here." stated Aaron, slinging Harry's arm over his shoulder. "I want to plan the best…and most respectable burial for our friends and teachers. It's the least we can do for them."

Everyone silently nodded in agreement.

"I don't know about you guys, but the longer I stay here…the more I think this place is creepy." joked Harry, hoping to lighten the mood. "I mean, everything's white – even the receptionist lady!"

Everyone smiled slightly as Katherine corrected, "I think the term is _albino_."

"Who cares?" laughed Trey, breaking the tense atmosphere. "Let's just get out of here while we're still sane."

Harry and Aaron had hobbled less than half a step when Trey dryly asked, "And just _how_ are you two going to get out of this hospital? One of you," he looked towards Harry, "is about as strong as newborn child. And the other," he glared at Aaron, "should rightfully belong in crutches, if not a wheelchair."

Aaron rolled his eyes as he playfully whispered to Harry, "He'll make a good mother one day. He's already inherited the mother complex – paranoia over every little injury." Without glancing at the red-head, Aaron softly mimicked, "Oh _Aaron_, don't walk around so much! You're leg may have to get amputated because the little scratch on your leg got infected from all the moving around you did!"

Harry snickered as Trey huffily snorted, "It's _not_ just a scratch! It's a serious injury that could cause you permanent…"

"See what I mean?" interrupted Aaron.

Everyone laughed lightly as they exited St. Mungos. They haven't forgotten the deaths of their friends and companions, but they knew that as long as they had each other, things were going to be fine.

* * *

TBC

_I'm sorry it took me so long to update. A lot of things were going on. :) Anyway, I hope this chapter was satisfactory. wouldn't let me post this story when I tried to two days ago...I think the Document Manager wasn't working.) _


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